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jerzwriter · 1 year ago

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First Date

Based on this ask from @lexicook74-blog, Trystan takes Carolina out on an official first date now that they are out in the open. This is pure, unadulterated fluff with a twist of sarcasm that makes them... them. I hope you enjoy it! 💗

Book: Crimes of Passion (Post Book 2) Pairing: M!Trystan Thorne x F!MC (Carolina Rose) Category: Fluff (with a twist of NY) Words: 2,495 A/N: @choicesoctober - Celebration - because an official first date for these two is something to celebrate! Also, @choicesprompts Flufftober - First Date

It was difficult to tell who was most excited to be back. Carolina had always known she was a New Yorker through and through, but her time in Drakovia had solidified that commitment. Now, she even loved the things she hated about her hometown. Although, she was pretty confident her romanticization of smelly trash bins and subway rats had just about run its course. For Trystan, it felt like a dream he never dared to believe had come true. No longer in exile, no longer forced to live a life his birth alone decreed. For the first time in his life, he knew freedom, and it couldn’t be any sweeter.

But their return to the Big Apple wasn’t all fun and games. Mafalda wasn’t exaggerating about the amount of work awaiting them back at the agency. But they were eager to get back to it, working long days that often drifted into the night, which is where they were now.

The clock struck eight, and the sun’s few remaining rays washed the office in a soft, amber glow. Trystan placed another cup of coffee in front of Carolina, and she rewarded him with a tender smile before quickly returning to her work. He picked up a folder to do the same. But, when his cup of java did nothing to help his exhaustion, he leaned back for a quick break, studying his favorite subject as he did... his precious Carolina.

Love was an amazing thing. There she was with her hair in a messy bun, raccoon-like dark circles under her eyes, and while a coffee-stained shirt was the norm for Detective Rose, today, it was paired with a little spaghetti sauce from dinner. Still, as Trystan took her in, he was sure he had never seen anything more beautiful. Carolina glanced up and caught him staring. If she weren't so tired, she would have something witty to say, but sticking her tongue out at him would need to suffice. Pleased that she was being more immature than him for once, Trystan let out a chuckle. This was worthy of marking on the calendar, but so was something else on his mind.

“Today is Thursday, is it not?” He asked.

Carolina thought so but looked at her phone for good measure.

“Thursday it is,” she smiled. “The days seem to be melting into one another, don’t they?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. We need to do something about that.”

“What do you suggest?” she asked as she closed her notebook. “Quitting the agency?”

“Of course not! But even Mafalda said we’ve been overdoing it since we returned. So I declare this weekend a work-free zone. Besides, we have plans.”

“We do?” She asked with a scrunched nose.

“We do now,” he smiled. “We have never been on a proper date, and it's time we change that.”

“Trystan,” she rolled her eyes. “We’ve gone out plenty of times.”

“Gone out? Yes. But a proper date? No.”

“What do you call all the times we’ve gone out to eat?"

“Obtaining sustenance.”

“And when we went to the Yankee Game?”

“The game we attended with Luke and Ruby? Where I had to whisk you away to a private area just to kiss you?”

“Only for the kiss cam to snag us,” she laughed.

“Exactly! Had it been an official date, and the kiss cam had caught us... I would have given them quite a show.”

“You make a point,” she concurred.

“I make lots of them, Carolina,” he smirked. “If only you paid more attention.”

He quickly dodged the rubber band ball she threw his way.

“Maybe we should go to another Yankee game,” she laughed. “Clearly, my pitching isn’t what it should be.”

“I’m sure sure more Yankee games in our future,” he smiled. “But this time, allow me to spoil you... I can’t think of anyone more deserving.”

“Babe... I’m a girl from the Bronx; a Yankee game is spoiling me.”

“Understood, but can I please spoil you Drakovian royalty style for just one night.”

Carolina tapped her chin. “Drakovian royalty style. Hmmm. I suppose I'm willing as long as it doesn’t involve poisoning or knife fights.”

“I promise to leave those parts out,” he laughed. “Though a little wrestling at the end might be in order.”

“I wouldn’t object to that,” she laughed.

“Then that settles it! Saturday night... we have a date.”

~~~~

Trystan didn’t give away any details, only telling Carolina to wear something fancy and to be ready at six. Normally calm and collected, finding the perfect outfit was sending Carolina into a tizzy. Fortunately, Ruby was available for shopping and to help keep her friend grounded.

“You’re already his girlfriend,” Ruby laughed as her friend tried on her umpteenth dress. “You don’t need to put this much pressure on yourself.”

Carolina’s head popped over the dressing room door. “Yes, I do. It’s our first official date, and I want it to be... perfect. Besides, I’ve never gone out with anyone routinely followed by the paparazzi. If I end up on Page Six, I want to be killing it!”

“Killing it might be the wrong choice of words, considering it’s you two we’re talking about. And I’m sure you’ll look more spectacular than any of those snobby socialites on Page Six. Carolina... take a deep breath and just enjoy this.”

Across town, Trystan wasn’t faring much better. Luke was unwillingly getting play-by-play details as Trystan finalized plans.

“So what do you think?” he finally asked.

“What do I think?” Luke scowled. “I think this is the most bourgeoisie itinerary I’ve ever heard of.”

“Is it wrong for me to spoil the woman I love occasionally?”

“I suppose not,” Luke resigned with a sigh. “As long as you don’t do it too often. Otherwise, I may have to reconsider being seen with you in public. You’re already bad for my rep.”

“It’s not the first time I’ve heard that, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.” Trystan laughed. “But as long as Carolina is happy to be seen with me, that’s all I need.”

Luke shook his head mockingly. “You know, I would have never imagined you as a love-sick puppy when we met.”

“Funny, I never saw you that way either... then you fell for Ruby. Should we discuss that?”

Luke cleared his throat and returned his eyes to his laptop. “Why would we discuss that when I have to help you plan your date.”

“Sneaky way out... but at least I’ve got you where I want you,” Trystan winked. “Now, put your work away. You can come to help me select Carolina’s flowers.”

“Flowers?” Luke groaned.

“Yes. And after my date, I should probably help you plan a date for Ruby. Obviously, you need my help.”

“I may just take you up on that,” Luke grinned.

~~~~~

Saturday rolled around quickly, and Tommy did a double take when a tuxedo bedecked Trystan stepped out of a limousine in front of his bar, turning all heads his way. Even in a city used to sophistication and excess, Trystan had a way of commanding everyone’s attention.

Carolina’s uncle shook his head with a grin as Trystan approached the bar, a dazzling bouquet of cream-colored roses in his arms.

“You know, my niece likes the simpler things in life,” he teased.

“Obviously!” Trystan scoffed. “She’s in love with me, after all.”

“You might be many things, Trystan, but I’m confident simple isn’t one of them.”

“You can say that again,” Carolina replied from the top of the stairs.

Trystan took one look at her, and his jaw went slack, the flowers in his hand falling to his side. Carolina’s smile grew exponentially as she descended the steps in a stunning, barely there champagne lace slip dress that hugged her every curve. Flirtatiously draping the fringe shawl the saleswoman swore would complete her look over her shoulder, she sauntered to Trystan with a wink.

“So, you like then?”

“Like...” he gasped, unable to come up with any words.

“Are you sure it’s not too much? I don’t really go on fancy-ass dates like this often.”

“Carolina... you are perfection...” he marveled. “Too much? Too much for whom? I assure you, I can more than handle this.”

“All right, you two!” Tommy barked. “I know you’re consenting adults, but can you please save that part of your date until you’re not standing in front of me in my bar!”

“Of course, Tio,” Carolina laughed, her eyes lighting up when Trystan handed her the bouquet. “What are these for?”

“They’re roses for the most beautiful Rose of all.”

A blush rose to her cheeks as her eyes rolled toward the ceiling. “Do these lines work on most people?”

“I got you, didn’t I?” he smiled, then offered her his arm. “Now, let’s go, your chariot awaits.”

~~~~~

A half-hour later, they were at Per Se, sitting at one of the finest tables in the house with a million-dollar view of Central Park West.

“I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t opt for a private dining room,” Trystan said, pulling back Carolina’s chair. “But now that I can finally show you off, I want to ensure everyone can see us.”

“I don’t know,” she snickered. “I usually demand the private dining areas when on a date. All of the finest pizza joints in town have them. Of course, they’re usually reserved for kid's birthday parties, but still....”

“Yes, well, I’ll see if I can arrange for a balloon sculpture later on.”

“That would be perfect! Just skip the clowns!” she beamed as she perused the menu. “Now, tell me, do I have to eat fish eggs or snails here?”

“Not unless you want to.”

“Yeah, hard pass.”

“Don’t knock it, Carolina. You’ll never know if you’ll like something unless you try it.”

“Hey, don’t act like I never leave my comfort zone. I did allow myself to fall for a cocky, exiled would-be-king, after all.”

“And how did that work out for you?” he asked smugly as the waiter approached.

Carolina greeted the server with a wide grin, then shot Trystan a look. “I suppose I could start with the escargot... I just hope I don’t live to regret it.”

After dinner, the couple briefly strolled around Central Park, his arm slung casually around her shoulder. “So, you didn’t hate the snails,” he teased.

“I suppose if I were starving to death, and that was my only option, I wouldn’t turn them down,” she chuckled. “Now, the lobster tails, on the other hand...I’d never say no to them. But why did you tell me not to order dessert? And please... don’t be cheesy and tell me you’re dessert.”

“You underestimate me,” he laughed. “Dessert will be cheesy, but it’s not me... at least not yet. But first, we have to go to the heliport.”

“The Heliport? Why? Where are we going?”

“Downtown,” he answered with nonchalance.

“Downtown? You are aware the limo could take us there.”

“Of course,” he grinned. “But the traffic is woeful. Besides, I know you know this city like the palm of your hand, but you’ve never seen it this way. It’s breathtaking, and while I’ve seen it from the sky before, I simply have to experience it with you.”

“And why is that?”

He smiled like an impish schoolboy and merely told her she’d see, but once they were in the air, she understood.

“Oh my God, look at it!” she gushed.

Her city looked quite different from ten thousand feet above. Each one of its millions of lights twinkled like little stars that looked close enough to touch. She couldn’t turn her head away. But the only view Trystan was interested in was her; he was confident it was the most beautiful of all. He gently took her hand and held it for the remainder of the flight, peppering her hair with little kisses for good measure. Carolina closed her eyes only once, just long enough to take a deep breath and remind herself that this wasn’t a dream.

Back on solid ground, she still felt like she was walking on air. Enthusiastic as a child, she practically skipped through Greenwich Village, never letting go of her prince charming’s hand.

“And did you see when we turned by the Brooklyn Bridge!” She beamed. “ I thought I would scream. It was so amazing! And the lights... there were so many lights! Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”

Trystan tugged her hand, stopping her in her tracks. His eyes locked on hers as he brushed a tendril of hair away from her moonlit face, his thumb trailing across her lower lip.

“I assure you, I have.”

Carolina lifted herself up on her toes as their lips came together; her arms wrapped around his neck, and his hands found their way to her hips... the night just kept getting better.

“So, you don’t mind being spoiled?” he joked.

“Hmmm. On occasion. This has been magical, but then again... it’s always magical when I’m with you, and I don’t need all the extras to make it so.”

“Then you’ll love dessert,” he assured as they stepped in front of Veniero’s. “Nothing fancy at all.”

“You know about Veniero’s?” Carolina asked, duly impressed.

“Please. Do you take me for a Neanderthal?”

“No, just Drakovian,” she smirked. “Did you know they have the best cannolis in the city?”

“Yes, and I know how much you love a good cannoli.”

“I feel like there’s an inappropriate joke in there,” she giggled as he opened the door.

“There is,” he agreed. “But we’ll save that for later.”

They ended the night sitting on a blanket underneath an old tree in Washington Square Park. Street musicians played nearby but couldn’t drown out the stream of little pleasure-filled sounds that escaped Carolina’s beautiful lips.

“If anyone were to hear you, they wouldn’t think a cannoli was the causation,” Trystan smiled.

“Please, this is Washington Square Park... no one is going to judge my cannoli kink.” She snuggled up next to him and held him tight. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way...” she started, as a look of worry crossed his face.

“What is it?”

“Everything about tonight has been just perfect... the limo, the fancy restaurant, the helicopter ride... you really had me feeling like a princess.”

“But?”

“But just being here with you, kissing, snuggling, and watching people go by....”

“My luscious cannoli....”

“The cannoli from Vaniero’s,” she laughed. “There’s nothing better than this.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he replied, wiping a bit of cannoli cream from her lip. He pulled her close for a lingering kiss.

“So, since this first date went so well,” she started. “Can we have an official second date? Next Saturday?”

“I’d be delighted,” he grinned. “What would you like to do?”

“Oh, no! I’m planning this one. Now I have to spoil you... Bronx style.”

@choicesficwriterscreations

Tagging others on reblog

#crimes of passion #crimes of passion 2 #crimes of passion fanfic #choices fanfic #playchoices fanfic #playchoices #trystan thorne #trystan thorne x mc #trystan x carolina #flufftober #first date #fic requests

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mariacallous · 2 months ago

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A week after Hurricane Helene ripped through the southeastern United States, parts of western North Carolina devastated by the storm are still facing more than 400 road closures. “There are places we can’t get to,” a government official told a local paper. Photos that have made it out of the region show local roads entirely washed away, and others still covered in water.

That this degree of flooding could happen in this part of the country—far inland and long touted by real estate experts as a “climate haven”—demonstrates that the devastating effects of climate change can be felt anywhere and everywhere. Last week, some parts of North Carolina saw more than 2.5 feet of rain in three days. The storm and its floodwaters have killed at least 200 people nationwide, with over 100 still missing in the North Carolina mountains.

A key part of the recovery in North Carolina and elsewhere will be rebuilding the roads, both for supplies to get where they need to go and for a sense of normalcy. In general, states are responsible for building and maintaining their own roads, and the last few years have seen more and more of them grapple with the realities of climate change. “All departments of transportation are looking at more resilient infrastructure in the face of these increased weather events,” says Kevin Marshia, a former Vermont transportation official who is now the director of engineering at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, a national organization.

Early in the North Carolina disaster response, federal agencies delivered vital food and supplies to residents via “air bridges”—airlifts—and even mules. The Army Corps of Engineers has deployed experts to the region to help with debris removal, water management, and road and bridge inspections. Florida—arguably the national leader in protecting assets from floodwaters—says it has contributed infrastructure damage-assessment teams and temporary bridge materials, which likely include lower-weight steel structures that can be erected without too many tools.

Generally, officials try to get transport back up and running on damaged roads through temporary fixes, including restricting traffic to lanes that can safely handle any vehicles. In the short term, engineers might, for example, replace a washed-away 4-foot culvert (a drain pipe under a road) with whatever size they have premade and close by, knowing they’ll eventually have to go back and install a much deeper, 20-foot version, says Marshia.

The New 50-Year Flood

Longer-term fixes to prepare infrastructure for climate change start with data. Traditionally, engineers use a specific historical flood as a design reference point, says Steve Muench, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Washington who studies transportation infrastructure. A 50-year storm is the sort that can be expected every 50 years; a 100-year storm is a much more intense one that can be expected, yes, every century.

But engineers now realize that more intense weather patterns mean they can’t design simply based on historical records. For every project, transportation engineers need to figure out “how to shift their design procedures from using historical records to ones with better climate prediction,” Muench says.

These more “armored” road projects do typically cost more. But more public officials—though not all public officials—have realized that hardening their roads against intensifying weather will save money in the long run.

Typically, Muench says, the solution isn’t something too complicated: Just build infrastructure higher. But engineers can’t build roads and bridges to survive every disaster, which would lead to expensive, overbuilt projects that would “take generations to finish,” says Muench.

‘Rice Krispie’ Roads

When engineers are rebuilding roads from scratch, they have also started to use different materials to account for the possibility of lots of water arriving really quickly. In the past decade, road builders have increasingly installed more permeable, “spongy” roads.

Pervious concrete, unlike regular concrete, usually excludes sand from the typical “gravel, sand, cement, water” recipe. It also has a lower water-to-cement ratio, which creates a thick paste before it dries. “It’s like caramel popcorn, or a Rice Krispie bar,” says Nara Almeida, who studies the material as an assistant teaching professor in the civil engineering program at the University of Washington Tacoma.

On normal concrete roads, water pools and collects, with the stagnant water eventually damaging its various layers, and especially critical underlying ones, which bear vehicles’ heavy loads. But the increased porosity of pervious concrete allows water to flow through the material more easily, so it can reach and be absorbed into the ground—a nice feature for roads subject to lots of wetness.

Pervious concrete does have its downsides. It’s weaker than normal concrete, which means it’s a better fit for sidewalks, parking lots, and low-traffic streets than interstates that expect a lot of heavy trucks. (Research into reinforcing the material with steel, natural, glass, and synthetic fibers is ongoing.) Its porosity means it’s not a great fit for cold climates, where water can seep in, freeze, and break down the material inside. The concrete also needs regular pressure washing or vacuuming, to “unclog” it from the sort of material often found on the roadway—dust, leaves. Because states sometimes have to switch vendors and processes to use the newer material, the projects might cost them more. But some places have put the material on the shoulders of interstates, says Almeida, which are much less likely to get regular tire poundings.

Ultimately, though, there’s not a lot that can be done when a huge volume of water quickly flows across a roadway or the base of a bridge, which engineers call “scour.” “We’ve all played in the backyard with water and hoses—it’s very damaging,” says Muench, the engineering professor. Part of climate resilience is planning ahead—and staging the quick-fix materials nearby—so communities can rebuild quickly.

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snowbellewells · 1 year ago

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MY CSSNS23 MC: "Carolina Moon" {prologue}

**Thank you SO MUCH to my event artist @eastwesthomeisbest for the absolutely amazing cover art she created (in much less time than I should have afforded her). I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it, and am thrilled to be able to put it with each update of my story. Also, I'm so grateful to have @xarandomdreamx as my beta for this fic as well, though I did not give her this prologue, so any mistakes here are absolutely and unfortunately mine! And thank you too to the @cssns as a whole for once again providing such a great event of which to be a part!!***

Here is my second submission to the @cssns23 event!! This one is a modern au of the Nora Roberts novel and subsequent tv movie Carolina Moon. The main female character in the movie is psychic/clairvoyant (I’ll admit, I’m not too sure about the distinction between the two) and I thought her visions and what she goes through in connection to them made a nice real-world parallel to Emma’s magic. (There’s also a scene in here where the male lead says something that I could so perfectly see Killian saying to Emma… I just cannot wait to get to that point!)

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this romantic thriller with some murder mystery elements. There are some instances of abuse and violence in here though - which I feel like I should mention, since that’s a little darker than my typical style. Most of them are in flashbacks of Emma’s past, or in visions she has of victims, more than in the actual present day plot; still I wanted to make people aware before we got too far.

Please enjoy! (I’d love to hear what you think.)

Prologue

July 1993

The water at their hideaway always feels so good. She could sink into it until her head slips below the surface and never, ever want to come up for air. It’s cooler, more luxurious than even the rich, satiny sheets on the trundle bed those rare nights when she gets to sleep over at Rose’s. Emma Swan’s gangly, 13-year-old limbs slice through the murky water as if the constant humidity and sultry air of Storybrooke, South Carolina can’t penetrate here in their little forest haven. She knows, of course, logically, that the real world isn’t all that far away. The shaded pond she and Rose discovered two summers ago is just a short trek into the woods at the furthest edge of Rose’s family’s boundless acreage. Still, it feels removed enough to bring Emma a sense of peace and contentment she gains nowhere else.

Looking over her shoulder to the large, smooth boulder jutting out of the pond at the bank where they left their flip flops and cutoff denim shorts, she can see her best friend stretched out with her new book where they had spread their towels on the rock’s surface, just in the wash of warming sunlight that streams through the tree branches overhead. Rose’s flawlessly creamy pale skin is prone to burning, but at the moment her friend seems willing to take the risk for the benefit of lazing cozily to read as she dries in the sun after taking a quick dip. Shaking her head, Emma plunges back under, happy to stay in the chilly water a bit longer herself. She knew as soon as they’d met outside Rose’s house that afternoon, and she had seen that Rose held a new Boxcar Children book in her hand, that her friend would not be able to resist burrowing into those pages for long.

It’s funny, Emma supposes, but that’s exactly what bonded she and Rose Jones in the first place. They might seem different on the surface, but in the end, neither of them quite fit with everyone else, and so they gravitate to each other, and have ever since Emma first arrived in Storybrooke as an eight-year-old orphan. They are each willing to give the other at least one person who takes them as they are and with whom they won’t have to pretend. Emma doesn’t care if Rose wants to read quietly and tell her about the stories she’s already finished instead of picking out dresses for the next cotillion class or preening in front of the mirror, practicing batting her eyelashes to charm boys or bragging to Emma about which ones she intends to kiss. Her sister Ruby, who shares the same thickly shining, burnished mahogany hair and pretty pink lips but little of her fraternal twin’s calming, gentle personality, does enough of that for the both of them. Their mother, a former debutante and southern belle, delights in the one daughter’s traditional coquettishness, and despairs of the other’s shyness. Cora Jones is a true throwback to another time who wants nothing more than to see both her daughters marry well and retain their places atop the social ladder. Emma could not care any less about such details; she is already clinging to the very bottom rung of such a social structure - if she and the so-called guardians with whom she lives are on the ladder at all. In turn, Rose doesn’t mock Emma for her thick, dark-framed glasses or secondhand clothes, nor does she cringe away from the “fits” that sometimes take hold of her friend, making strange, disturbing scenes Emma can’t understand flash across her mind with such intensity they sometimes knock her off her feet. Emma knows Rose’s mother and sister find her an unsuitable and embarrassing companion for Rose, but she is eternally grateful her friend seems able to see the best in anyone - even a lost girl nobody else wants - and so blithely acts as though she has no idea about the rest of her family’s opinions.

Cringing even while still submerged in the pond’s depths and practically invisible, Emma tries not to think of her unwanted visions. Her strict, hypocritical, and more than a bit deranged, foster father claims she’s possessed - and more than once has taken her episodes out of her hide. The man swears he’s beating the devil out of her and putting the fear of God in Satan’s place when he takes the thick leather strap to her shoulders, back and legs until she bleeds, but Emma has already lived long enough in a cruel and unfair world to know that his violence and “discipline” have less to do with parenting and concern for her soul, and more to show for his own twisted mind and overindulgence in the bottle. She wants to hide her spells from him, but when they come on her so abruptly and with such power, they are impossible to miss. She can’t fathom how a person like him was deemed fit to take in and care for a child, but mistreatment and injustice seem to be her lot in life thus far, and so she simply grits her teeth and survives.

It’s different though when the spells happen around Rose; the slight brunette merely rests a cool, steadying hand on Emma’s forehead or her arm until they pass, then she helps Emma stand until she feels in control again, listens as she attempts to make sense of whatever she’s seen, and most importantly… believes her. If only she could stay in the huge house Rose’s family calls home. She’d cook, clean, do chores, even stay in the servant’s quarters; Emma isn’t picky. It would still be a far sight safer than the situation she has in the rundown shack with the monster who’d been deemed her caretaker. Barring that, she would honestly rather live wild in these woods and survive off the land. She knew which plants and berries were safe to eat; Graham, her first friend, once a fellow orphan now happily adopted, had shown her ages ago, as well as taught her how to fish. It wouldn’t be easy, but she’d get by, and at least no one would lay a hand on her again.

This afternoon, those eerie images she sometimes has seem far away as she splashes up out of the water, trying to arc playfully like a mermaid as she breaks the surface. Drawing in a big gulp of air after staying underwater so long, Emma startles at the sound of teasing laughter, and whirls to see three figures on the bank where she and Rose left their shoes and shorts.

“Well, look here,” calls out a taunting voice that never fails to set Emma’s nerves on edge. “It’s the baby beached librarian and her drowned rat friend!” None other than Emma’s nemesis, Killian Jones, crows from his vantage point on dry land.

Rose sits up ramrod straight, book still in hand and annoyed scowl on her face at Killian and his friends’ interruption to the quiet peace of their sanctuary. She isn’t genuinely angry, though; for all that she and her sister share little in common, she and her two-years-older brother are affectionately close. “Shut up, Killy!” she shoots back, throwing in the childhood nickname they all know he hates. “Who asked you to come looking anyway?”

The boy standing next to Killian speaks up next, making Emma scowl just as playfully as Rose had moments before. Graham Hunter might as well be her big brother; he’s the closest thing she’s had to family since her parents were lost in a car crash and she was thrown into the foster care system. Be that as it may, he and Killian Jones are thick as thieves, and he’ll give her a hard time for all he’s worth while in the presence of his buddy. “We just wanted to swim,” he calls across the water to the two girls, smirking at Emma, who now stands in the water with one hip jutting out and hands planted on her waist. “How were we supposed to know you two were infesting it?”

“Ha!” Emma jeers back, the affront plain in her voice; despite the fact that the entire routine is like a practiced girls-versus-boys exchange they’ve all engaged in countless times. There isn’t much else to do for entertainment in their sleepy little one-horse town. “You idiots know this is Rose’s and my hideaway, fair and square!”

“Well, Rose’s anyway,” a third voice cuts in snidely.

The cruel jab reminds Emma once more that to most folks she is just a charity case, quite possibly only included in anything at all because of her friend’s kind heart, and at the intentional slight, cuts her gaze to the third member of the boys’ little crew, skulking a step back in the shadows behind where Killian and Graham stand, as he always does. Her green eyes narrow to slits in genuine dislike and suspicion. Where before her animosity was largely for show, when they land on Walsh Ozman, it is all too real.

She has never understood why the other two boys - jokers and annoyances though they may be, but good guys when it comes right down to it - hang out with Walsh at all. Where Graham and Killian are much more cut from the same cloth - athletic, outgoing, well-liked and pleasant - Walsh is a splindy, sniveling character, complaining and whining whatever their little trio gets up to. He lives not far from Emma’s foster father’s cabin with his single mother - a bushy-haired redhead who seems strangely overprotective and attached to her only child. Most people give the property a wide berth, except when high schoolers teepee it the whole month of October, and the general town consensus is that Zelena Ozman might be a witch and to steer clear. Still, beyond all of that, Emma might have been able to look past the boy’s circumstances and see him for himself - she of all people knew the gift it was not to be judged by where a person came from - if Walsh hadn’t simply given her “the willies”. Even standing too close to him made the fine hairs at the nape of her neck stand on end - and not in the way that nearness to Killian sometimes did; an altogether much more pleasant tingle, even if she was just as unable to explain one as the other.

“We could take their things,” Walsh suggests, holding up the threadbare, faded jeans Emma had left on the bank. “Make them walk back in their skivvies.” The wicked smile on his face makes Emma’s stomach turn over sickly.

Something sharp flashes in Jones’ eyes, his nostrils flaring slightly and his head giving a subtle shake of dissent that Emma can see even at the distance she stands away from him. Protectiveness, chivalry, or maybe the honor of a southern gentleman passed down to him through generations of his impressive family line; whatever it is, it sparks to life in his eyes at that moment as he quashes Walsh’s mean-spirited suggestion in no uncertain terms. “That’s my little sister you’re talking about Oz,” he growls, smacking the worn material from the smaller’s boy’s hands, even if the article of clothing isn’t Rose’s at all.

Emma feels her breath rush back into her lungs, though she continues to watch the guys warily for whatever they might do or say next. Before long, they grow bored of standing around and move on, hollering out age old taunts of “Bye, losers” and “Hey, smell ya later” to Emma’s derisive snort and Rose completely ignoring them to flip open her book again.

However, even with the intruders gone, it seems as if the perfect comfort of their retreat has been shattered by the unsettling interruption. Soon, Emma wades to the shore and Rose clambers down from her perch, to dress once more and return to the world outside. For a moment, as she refastens her jeans around her skinny waist, Emma feels a strange prickling along the fine hairs on her arms… like they’re being watched. She jerks around, searching the surrounding trees and brush, but can’t see or hear a thing.

Rose’s small hand takes hers, snapping Emma out of the moment. “What is it?” she whispers, only true caring in her voice. “Did you sense something?”

Emma nods, but can’t give her suspicions voice. Usually her visions are clearer than that - this had just been heavy breathing and like looking at herself and Rose through another person’s eyes, outside her own body.

Rose stooped to grab the little canvas bag she’d bought along with water bottles, towels, and a second book in it. “Hey, don’t worry, okay?” she offers, hopeful and kind as always. “You’ll figure it out. Wanna meet back out here tonight? Secret Sister bonfire?” she winks mischeivously. “I have to get to dinner now. You know how Mama hates it if I’m not washed up and properly attired for the evening meal - or a second late. But we can talk some more then, maybe you’ll remember more and it will be clearer.”

Emma nods gamely. “The stars’ll be beautiful by midnight,” she suggests. “And we’ll definitely have the place all to ourselves.”

“Since we were so rudely interrupted,” Rose chimes in with a giggle and roll of her eyes.

“Shake on it, pinkie swear,” they say together in practiced unison, executing a complex handshake that ends with their pinkies hooked together and wide, matching grins on both their faces.

“Thanks Rose,” Emma whispers sincerely, trying to speak around the lump in her throat as if it’s no big deal. “I’ll be out here as soon as I can sneak away.”

Rose, for her part, wraps her taller, golden-haired friend into a tight, momentary hug. “Hey, we’re Secret Sisters! You can count on me. I’ll see you then!”

They part ways at the edge of the forest; Emma heading to the rundown cabin that serves as her nightmarish version of a home, and Rose to the pristine Jones family mansion standing tall over all the surrounding land. Rose looks back over her shoulder with a smile and wave that bolsters Emma, and the memory fades back into the haze of the past…

Eighteen years later….

September 2011

The blaring of the horn as a sports car whizzed by, barely missing the nose of Emma’s beat-up yellow VW where it had begun to edge out into the country intersection, jarred her back to the present with a gasp and painful jolt to her chest. Panting for a moment as she gripped the steering wheel, Emma tried to clear her head and calm the pounding of her heart at the near-miss.

‘Get it together,’ she berated herself. It might have seemed like only yesterday as she remembered that sunny afternoon at the swimming hole, but that day had been nearly two decades ago. She was a grown woman, had made a way for herself, fighting tooth and nail for every step forward, and she answered to no one. She had learned to stand up for her rights and her needs, to control her visions and use them for good, and had even served a special consultant for the Boston PD. But, more than all of that, she had come back to this place to find peace, to lay to rest the ghosts that had followed her everywhere else she’d gone in the years between, once and for all. If she expected others to leave the past in the past, she would first have to manage to do the same.

She’d had no way to know as she and Rose parted that afternoon with promises and plans for later that it would be the last time she would ever see her friend. Emma had harbored the pain and the guilt and the unanswered questions ever since. Finally, it was time to meet the gazes of all of those who had stared at her in suspicion before she’d been packed up and moved away once more, and it was time she found answers. She wasn’t the scared, whipped, mistreated adolescent she had been at 13. What she had lived through then was not her fault, nor was what had happened to Rose that muggy July midnight.

And if she had to return to Storybrooke, South Carolina to lay that burden down… well, it was long past time she did.

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @cssns @searchingwardrobes @jennjenn615 @kmomof4 @laschatzi @whimsicallyenchantedrose @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @stahlop @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @wefoundloveunderthelight @eastwesthomeisbest @xarandomdreamx @sotangledupinit @justanother-unluckysoul @booksteaandtoomuchtv @kazoosandfannypacks @anmylica @motherkatereloyshipper @jonesfandomfanatic @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly @donteattheappleshook @xsajx @lfh1226-linda @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @darkcolinodonorgasm @resident-of-storybrooke @drowned-dreamer @optomisticgirl @tiganasummertree @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @blackwidownat2814 @blowmiakisscolin @let-it-raines

#cs ff #cs fanart #cssns23 #carolina mooon #prologue #nora roberts au #cs modern au mc

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newstfionline · 2 months ago

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Monday, October 7, 2024

Still Searching for Their Loved Ones, a Week After Hurricane Helene (NYT) The last time Drew McLean’s parents saw him, he was marveling at the power of Tropical Storm Helene as it washed over their home in the mountains of North Carolina. He and his mother found that a large tree had split in the front yard and another had been pushed by surging water into Mr. McLean’s car, tipping it on its side. Amid the chaos, Mr. McLean, 45, offered his mother a comforting thought: “God is still on his throne,” he said. Mr. McLean has been missing for a week now, ever since he apparently walked off into the storm last Friday. Sitting on the back porch of their secluded home in the hills of Black Mountain on Thursday, his parents were holding out hope that he would be found, even as they wiped tears from their eyes and increasingly feared the worst. The McLeans are in a fraught and fragile state shared by many across western North Carolina and other regions crushed by Hurricane Helene. The vastness of the devastation, coupled with a lack of phone and internet service after the storm, has left families unsure of what happened to their loved ones. The storm’s death toll has climbed past 225, but many people remain unaccounted for and searching for them is complicated. Their families are desperate for answers.

U.S. Wiretap Systems Targeted in China-Linked Hack (WSJ) A cyberattack tied to the Chinese government penetrated the networks of a swath of U.S. broadband providers, potentially accessing information from systems the federal government uses for court-authorized network wiretapping requests. For months or longer, the hackers might have held access to network infrastructure used to cooperate with lawful U.S. requests for communications data, according to people familiar with the matter, which amounts to a major national security risk.

Brazil drought sinks Amazon rainforest port river level to 122-year low (Reuters) The river port in the Amazon rainforest’s largest city of Manaus on Friday hit its lowest level since 1902, as a drought drains waterways and snarls transport of grain exports and essential supplies that are the region’s lifeline. Below-average rainfall—even through the rainy season—has plagued the Amazon and much of South America since last year, also feeding the worst wildfires in more than a decade in Brazil and Bolivia. Scientists predict the Amazon region may not fully recover moisture levels until 2026. Last year, the drought became a humanitarian crisis, as people reliant on rivers were stranded without food, water or medicine. This year authorities are already on alert. In hard-hit Amazonas state, at least 62 municipalities are under states of emergency with more than half a million people affected, according to the state’s civil defense corps.

Is Europe Becoming Ungovernable? (WSJ) At a recent debate, a German voter had some pointed criticism for Chancellor Olaf Scholz: The German government is unable to govern and its ministers are bickering like children. Instead of pushing back, Scholz conceded the point. “The truth is: You are right,” he said. “But what would be your solution? I mean, I’m asking for a friend.” The exchange triggered little controversy in Europe’s largest economy, once considered a paragon of good governance. It is now all but taken for granted that politicians can agree on little here, and implement even less. France, which for decades has been the engine of the European Union along with Germany, has found itself in a similar state of political paralysis after elections in June left Parliament divided between a multitude of parties. Political fragmentation and polarization have tied the hands of political leaders, who can govern only in unwieldy coalitions between left- and right-leaning parties. Governments have struggled to find common ground on even basic issues, much less some of their most acute problems, such as handling growing numbers of immigrants, the war in Ukraine and stagnant economies. As a result, the EU and its governments have been failing to fulfill their commitments to voters and risk falling further behind competitors such as the U.S. and China.

Macron urges countries to ‘stop delivering weapons’ to Israel for war in Gaza (Washington Post) French President Emmanuel Macron urged countries to stop providing weapons to Israel for its war in the Gaza Strip and expressed concern that the civilians of Lebanon could face a similar fate as those in Gaza. “The priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to carry out fighting in Gaza,” Macron said in an interview with France Inter, a public radio station, that aired Saturday. France itself, Macron said, was not delivering any weapons. Macron’s call comes amid mounting public scrutiny of the high death toll in Gaza and the widening regional conflict to Lebanon. At a summit for francophone leaders in Paris on Saturday, Macron appeared to take a jab at the United States, by far Israel’s largest supplier of weapons: “If we call for a cease-fire, consistency is to not provide weapons of war,” he said. “And I think that those who provide them cannot every day call for a cease-fire alongside us and continue to supply them.”

Russia retrains ex-soldiers heading back to the battlefield (Reuters) Nearly 20 years after he last served in Russia’s army, “Mara” is back in uniform. The bearded ex-driver and foundry worker, who identified himself only by his call sign, signed up with the army on Monday. By Friday, he was going through his paces at a training ground in Russia’s southern Rostov region, practising firing from an automatic rifle and simulating the storming of a building. Two and a half years into its war with Ukraine, Russia is offering one-off bonuses of up to 1.9 million roubles ($20,000)—22 times the average monthly wage—to men prepared to sign volunteer contracts as professional soldiers. Being able to attract people like Mara is crucial to Moscow’s ability to replenish its forces and avoid resorting to another round of compulsory mobilisation. The drafting of 300,000 reserves in October 2022 proved hugely unpopular and prompted hundreds of thousands of people to flee the country.

International rescue teams arrive in Bosnia after devastating floods and landslides (AP) Rescue teams from Bosnia’s neighbors and European Union countries on Sunday were joining efforts to clear the rubble and find people still missing from floods and landslides that devastated parts of the Balkan country. Bosnia sought EU help after a heavy rainstorm overnight on Friday left entire areas under water and debris destroyed roads and bridges, killing at least 18 people and wounding dozens. Officials said that at least 10 people are still unaccounted for.

Ukraine in security limbo (Washington Post) More than a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented his “victory plan” for how to end the war with Russia to top U.S. officials, details of the strategy and how it was received remain hazy. The trip, which was viewed as a key opportunity by Ukrainian officials for Zelensky to sell the United States on how to support Ukraine going forward, failed to resonate in Washington. Biden held his stance on prohibiting U.S.-provided longer-range missiles to strike inside Russia and Zelensky found himself caught in a political crossfire as influential Republicans largely criticized or snubbed him. Zelensky’s U.S. swing reinforced the sort of unsettling limbo Ukraine now finds itself in going forward—reliant on the United States as its main ally to arm it against Russia yet unsure how long that support will continue as attention on the war fades in its third year and with the new escalation in the Middle East.

‘My dreams are about bombs’ (NYT) The Israeli airstrikes are worst at night. By day, residents walk the city with haggard faces, trying their best to fight fatigue and calm their nerves. Empty cigarette packets pile up in handbags and in the footwells of cars. Anti-anxiety medication is shared among friends. “When will this end?” the 7-year-old daughter of Farah Choucair, an economist who spent 14 years working for the United Nations, asked her mother last week. For the child, the pounding Israeli strikes are a flashback to the deadly Beirut port blast, which ripped through the Lebanese capital just over four years ago and destroyed entire neighborhoods. Ms. Choucair, who now works for a media technology company, said it took years of psychological support for her to process the trauma, but her daughter never did. For many in Beirut, the continuing conflict is just one in a long line of human catastrophes. The city’s bullet-ridden apartment buildings serve as a daily reminder of Lebanon’s bloody 15-year civil war, which ended in 1990. A crippling economic collapse that struck decades later has left much of the country in poverty, and residents are still grappling with chronic power cuts even as the capital is bombarded. Many residents say they loathe the stereotype that the Lebanese are resilient. “I wish sometimes that we could just sit and cry our eyes out and not know what to do, but we always know what to do—what to pack, what we need,” said Ms. Choucair. “It has nothing to do with resilience or any positive trait. It’s a natural survival mode that we have been trained to automate.” She added: “This is how it is living in Beirut. It will never change. I am 41. It has been like this for as long as I remember.” “All my dreams are about bombs,” said Heba Jundi, 36, who was staying at a friend’s house in the mountains above Beirut with her cat, Benji.

Health workers in Lebanon describe deadly Israeli attacks on colleagues and fear more (AP) Israel’s military struck outside the gates of a hospital in southern Lebanon without warning on Friday, killing seven paramedics and forcing the facility to close, the hospital director told The Associated Press a day after one of the most deadly attacks on health workers in the weeks since fighting escalated between Israel and Hezbollah. The account of the Friday airstrikes that flung hospital doors off their hinges and shattered glass was the latest to detail attacks that Lebanon’s health ministry says have killed dozens of health workers. Marjayoun hospital director Mounes Kalakesh said that even before Friday’s attack, ambulance crews in the area were so reluctant to operate that the facility had not received anyone wounded for days. Friday’s attack came hours before Israel’s Arabic-language military spokesman accused the Hezbollah militant group, based in southern Lebanon, of using ambulances to transport weapons and fighters, and warned medical teams to stay clear of the group. The spokesman provided no evidence.

A year of fleeing across Gaza (AP) Ne’man Abu Jarad sat on a tarp on the ground. Around him, canvas sheets hung from cords, forming the walls of his tent. For the past year, Ne’man; his wife, Majida; and their six daughters have trekked the length of the Gaza Strip, trying to survive as Israeli forces wreaked destruction around them. It’s a far cry from their house in northern Gaza—a place of comforting routine, of love, affection and safety. A place where loved ones gathered around the kitchen table or on the roof on summer evenings amid the scent of roses and jasmine flowers. The Abu Jarad family lost that stability when Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. They did exactly as the Israelis ordered in the devastating weeks and months of war that followed. They obeyed evacuation calls. They moved where the military told them to move. Seven times they fled, and each time, their lives became more unrecognizable to them, crowding with strangers in a school classroom, searching for water in a vast tent camp or sleeping on the street. Israel’s campaign has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza—1.9 million of its 2.3 million Palestinians—and killed more than 41,600 people. Like the Abu Jarads, most families have been uprooted multiple times. For this family, the journey has taken them from a comfortable middle-class life to ruin.

#headlines #news

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dgknightblue · 1 year ago

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Time Distortion AU

Simmons always looks so focused when Grif picks him up, it takes him far too much time to stop staring.

Everyone around has to stop from laughing because Simmons’ developing crush is far too obvious, but Grif either doesn’t see it or is ignoring it.

At this point in time, they all think they will be returned to their respective eras after Carolina’s mission is done.

Which is why Grif doesn’t act on his feelings (he totally does but neither Grif or Simmons realize they go on frequent dates on the beach) for Simmons and Kai isn’t putting up with this.

Surprisingly, Simmons doesn’t get why Donut makes the guys uncomfortable at first. He just gets a bit confused until he thinks about what he’s saying.

When it comes to fashion, obviously Donut tries to get everyone to be on his level of fabulous.

Simmons is very reluctant to show any bit of skin. Grif tries not to stare at his neck, but it’s hard. The sun is very bright and it makes everyone very sweaty.

Simmons isn’t attractive by his eras standards, but he’s incredibly pretty to Grif.

Wash actually relaxed a little around Simmons, it made Grif jealous because he didn’t know what they were talking about at the time.

They were talking about knifes and how they used them. Wash gave Simmons one of his favorites because Simmons’ had his broken by a couple of Zealots. Simmons was scared and sad because that’s his mom’s knife and it’s gone for good.

Wash started show Simmons knife tricks, it took a knife flying by that everyone realized they are a scary influence on each other and must be separated immediately.

Although none of that stops Simmons from getting cuddly with Grif as he chatters on about everything he’s learned.

One time Junior wanted to hear stories about “Dragons” and though Simmons was nervous he did his best to tell stories that didn’t involve dragons getting killed by knights but also make sure that he didn’t paint the knights as necessarily evil either.

Caboose added to story time means longer stories until they fall asleep.

Kai shoves Grif into the group so he’d be closer in the pile. Tucker sits with Junior and talks to Simmons about making him the hero of Junior’s next story with a bunch of girls too.

Kai is really pxssed at Grif so she flirts with Tucker.

Tucker hates having to do practice drills with Wash, Carolina, and Sarge.

When Simmons summons Tex and subsequently become under her protection, her and Shiela have become rivals. Shiela is still a tank but she wants full custody of Simmons. Her little tomato.

I don’t know, maybe they work together.

Sarge will make Simmons a good soldier just yet, he will also threatening Grif more than he was before because of Simmons apparent crush.

He’ll only accept his best solider dating his worst if his worst solider can shape up and prove himself!

Grif is suffering, well his cool guy without a care act is because Simmons is so fxcking cute. He could go on and on and wax poetics that he never lets anyone read. Kai will make sure Simmons at least sees some of the poems and makes sure Grif sees the super secret love letters in Simmons’ diary.

@orange-enjoyer Hi :3

#fanfiction #au #cute #fanart #time distortion AU #red vs blue #rvb Simmons #rvb grif #grimmons #rvb junior #rvb caboose #rvb sarge #rvb donut #rvb Kai #rvb wash

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frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe · 2 years ago

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destiel!steddie pt. 5!!

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | AO3: you can hear the call (when trouble's on the way)

‘We really shouldn’t be spying on him like this, you know that that’s not normal human behavior, right?’

“I am aware. I am merely making sure he’s safe.”

‘He’s in his bed, fast asleep. If anything, you should be standing guard outside. Standing over him like this is totally not creepy at all.’

The angel can hear the weird tone shift in Steve’s words, even when coming from inside his own being, but can’t quite remember what about the tone is supposed to indica–

‘It’s sarcasm, man, we’ve gone over this.’

Ah, that is what it was. “I will learn eventually.”

The human soul within him is silent for a bit longer, could’ve been hours, could’ve been just moments, but eventually speaks up again.

‘I gotta ask, is your obsession with him actually yours, or is me having the hots for him influencing things?’

He thinks on that for a while. He had been the first to jump at the chance to see Earth like his brother once did, wanting to know what it was about humans that had caused Castiel to forsake his kin.

It’s not hard to admit that what he had seen of Eddie before and after being pulled from hell was…significant. He was a beautiful soul. One that’d shone near blinding as he’d worked to piece him back together.

Eddie’s concern for others, his overwhelming love for his uncle and late mother, the scars of hurt the angel had found patched over already (though hastily, and with not as good of a seal that may have come from real healing, but something to be admired nonetheless)...

“It is not just you.”

‘...I can tell.’ Steve sounded breathless at the memories.

“He is a beautiful soul, and an admirable human.”

Another stretch of silence waned with another question from the soul within him. ‘Do you know why he’d gone to hell in the first place?’ Steve asked quietly, like he was afraid of the answer.

“He was there as a result of a deal with a crossroads demon.”

‘What’d he make a deal for?’

“He happened to find some of his Uncle’s medical paperwork. Made the deal not a day later.” He pauses. “His uncle didn’t find out about the deal until after Eddie’s year had expired, when he came home to find his nephew’s body, shredded by hellhounds.”

Steve’s heartbreak for the older Munson washed over the angel like a cold wave.

“They are alright, though I don’t think Wayne has fully forgiven his nephew.”

The two beings fall silent once again, staying invisible to anyone on the physical plane. It had admittedly been a bit of an adjustment to accommodate keeping Steve with him after visiting Hawkins, but the angel found he quite liked the human soul’s company.

Since leaving Hawkins, watching over the Munsons like this over the last month and a half or so and helping Eddie on some cases too (the tulpa in North Carolina was definitely more of a pain than he would’ve liked), Steve has made understanding human idiosyncrasies much easier.

“I think you are right, Stephen, Eddie will be fine. We sho—” he’s cut off by a snuffling sound from Eddie, who rolls from where he’d been laying on his left side, to his stomach. His right arm comes up under his head and pillow, while his left is held loosely off to his side.

His face is turned to the left as well, and where they would have a clear view of his face, they only see Eddie’s wild head of hair.

Without thinking about it, the angel steps forward and gently pushes the hair away from the human’s face.

‘He’s so pretty.’ Steve sighs from within.

“He looks…ethereal.”

Steve’s bubbling laugh tickles up the back of their head and they step back again from Eddie’s bedside. ‘Says the angel.’

They both admire the man for a moment longer before the angel steps back to take flight.

His wings are spread when they’re interrupted once again.

“Mmhmm…Steve..”

They both hold their breath.

‘Did he..?’

“Stevie..a–ah..”

Eddie is calling out for him; he needs them.

‘NO! Nopenopenope, time to leave!’ the human shoves at him internally.

“What do you mean? He is calling for us. I told him we would be there if he ever called.” He moves to step forward back to Eddie, but is surprised that he’s wholly unable to. “How are you–nevermind, let us go! He’s convulsing!”

Eddie continued gasping and writhing, though his movements seemed to be more rhythmic than anythin–

Suddenly, they are standing outside in the middle of the Munson’s junkyard.

“How–? Steve? How did you do that?”

‘Sorry, sorry, I had to get us out of there. That was definitely not something we should’ve seen.’

“I do not understand.”

Steve sighs internally. ‘I just know these things, okay? It’d be very embarrassing for him if he’d known we were there. Trust me.’

The angel’s thoughts reeled. “But he called for us.”

This time, Steve’s frustration with him came out as a loud groan, ‘He was dreaming of us. Probably an embarrassing sort of dream. One that should NOT be mentioned to him in person.’

“I do not know quite what you mean but–”

His mind was instantly inundated with images of He and Eddie in very compromising positions.

The angel felt hot all over. Strange, the weather hadn’t changed.

Steve chuckled at him, ‘It’s not the weather, it’s me–well, my body. You are reacting to what I showed you.’

“Oh.” It wasn’t a bad heat, though he did feel an added tightness along with the heat a bit lower down on his borrowed body.

Steve laughed again, ‘Yeah, “Oh.”. C’mon, let’s get out of here before you embarrass us or Eddie…go check in on Dustin or something.’

He still didn’t quite understand how having a dream like that may make one feel embarrassed, the act within Steve’s fabricated scenes seemed quite lovely, but He didn’t want to upset Eddie.

‘You’re something else, dude.’ Steve chuckles again at His thoughts as they fly back to Hawkins once again.

—--

From the moment Dustin wakes up, he can tell there’s something off. In a good way, though.

For one, he slept a lot better than he had in a while and two, his covers were actually still on him. Usually the nightmares of falling down cold elevator shafts and running through drafty underground tunnels cause him to throw them off the bed sometime in the middle of the night.

It really gave him a little extra oomph, which was good; his mom is going to drop him off at Will’s after running a couple errands and he had been doing his best not to be as much of a Debbie Downer around the other party members.

So he gets up, makes his bed for once, brushes his teeth, and heads downstairs.

They’re done with their errands much quicker than he thought, and in no time at all he’s knocking on the Byers-Hopper clan’s front door.

“Hello Dustin.” El greets him, opening the door much wider than it needed to be.

“Hey Ellie, Will in his room?” He asks as he steps in.

“Yes!”

“Cool, cool, hey Ms. Byers!” he calls in greeting as he jogs through the kitchen and down the hall.

–

Dustin had gotten lost in writing up a backstory for his new character (a dwarf fighter this time, thought it’d be cool to run something out of his norm, okay?), when he looks up and sees Will adding some detail to a page in his sketchbook.

“Oh cool dude, you’re drawing again?”

“Yeah! I’ve got this new character I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.”

“That’s cool man, I’m glad you’re getting inspired again after everything.” He lets that sit for a bit before asking, “Can I see what you’re working on now?”

Will flushes. “I um….”

“No worries if you don’t want to show me, man, I’m cool.” Dustin holds up his hands in mock surrender.

“No, I…I want to show you, I’m pretty proud of this one, but it’s...just kind of embarrassing.”

“Ohohoho! Is it about your super ”not actually a crush” on a certain dark-haired friend of ours whose name rhymes with Bike Mealer?” Dustin grins widely, teasing his friend.

Surprisingly, some of the flush falls away from Will’s face as he laughs, “No, no, he’s not in this…yet.” Will smirks. “Also, how can that be the embarrassing part if you already know about it?”

Dustin just shrugs, “I dunno, man, that was just the first thing I thought of. Now lemme see!!” He makes to grab the sketchbook from Will, who holds it out of his reach easily with one long arm.

Damn his growth spurt.

“Okay, okay, hold your horses!” Dustin sits back against the side of the bed. “Fine, you can read it. IF!” Will moves to hand it over, but pulls it away at the last second. “You promise not to make a big deal out of it, okay?”

Dustin nods enthusiastically, taking the offered sketchbook from his friend, though his face starts to fall as he takes in the pages in front of him.

“I didn’t really want anyone to know, but it’s been…healing? I guess? Making up stories for all of us after everything happened. Like, obviously it’s all completely unrelated to everything that’s happened, and it’s really dumb to pretend like Steve’s an angel now,”

Will glances up at Dustin briefly at the mention of Steve. ‘Shit, steer clear of that, c’mon keep rambling about something that’s not Steve!’ He yells at himself internally.

“B–but the real premise is based off these old books called Supernatural by Carver Edlund and I thought it’d be fun if we met a hunter too, like Sam and Dean in his books. As if that was the reason for the suicides at the high school, a-and Nancy is a badass so I’m thinking she ends up joining Eddie on some more hunts later, and…” Will stops as he registers the look on Dustin’s face.

Panicking, he tries to grab it away from his friend. “Okay, that’s enough,” but Dustin keeps it out of reach. “Dude, seriously, give it back, this is what I was worried about..” he makes another grab for it.

Dustin keeps it from him once again, but what he says next makes him freeze. “How the hell do you know Eddie?”

Will blinks at him owlishly. “What do you mean, ‘how do I know Eddie?’. He’s my character! I made him up!”

Dustin tears his eyes away from the page, meeting Will’s gaze. He looks like he’s about to pass out.

“Wait, how do you know about Eddie… Did you go through my shit??” Will manages to snatch the book back, though it’s most likely due to whatever state Dustin’s got himself in.

“...No.. No, I–” Dustin’s gaze is a thousand miles away. “I need to call Nancy.” He scrabbles up the bed and launches himself over Will and out the bedroom door.

It takes Will a couple thumps of Dustin’s feet in the hallway for him to also spring up and follow his friend to the kitchen.

Dustin’s already dialing on the old home phone when he gets there. “Why do you need to call Nancy?” Dustin just waves off his question.

“Dust, seriously, you better not tell her about–” he’s cut off when Nancy evidently answers.

“Nancy! Nancy, it’s Dustin. Yeah, I’m fine; listen, I’m at Will’s and he just…I saw…” Dustin looks over and down at the sketchbook in Will’s hand. “No! No, he’s okay, you just…OK, you’re not gonna believe this, but he knows about Eddie! Yeah! And his uncle too.”

“Wha–how’d you know that was his uncl–”

“Yes, I’m sure, he freaked out when I asked him how he knew Eddie. No, that’s the thing, Will says that Eddie is a character he Made. Up.” Dustin emphasizes the last two words.

Until now, Will could faintly hear the elder Wheeler’s voice responding through the receiver, but at that. She was silent.

“Nance?”

Her voice came through once again, before Dustin was saying his goodbyes. “Okay, yep. Yep. Should I tell him?” Dustin looks at Will again. “Yeah, I’m going to. Okay. Call me as soon as you hear back. Ok, bye.”

Dustin turns back to will as soon as he hangs up. "Dude, you are not gonna believe this."

—--

Eddie wakes already mourning the loss of his dream from the night before.

It must be late morning by how bright it is in his room, but he really couldn’t care less. He’s too busy replaying the last bits of it he can still remember.

The feeling of Steve’s breath on the shell of his ear, the soft grunts that accompany each one, the sting from where Steve’s hand gripped into the hair at the back of his skull, in the feathers at the base of his wings (Wings! Again!), how entirely full he’d felt with Steve fully inside h–

He’s interrupted from his thoughts when he hears the landline ring downstairs.

“Damn, it’s only 11, let a man sleep in, huh?” Eddie grumbles as he throws off his comforter and stands, adjusting himself through his boxers.

He makes it downstairs, his dreams fully falling out between the slats of his brain like sand, finally answering the line on its second go around. “Munson residence.”

“Finally you answer, you need to get to Hawkins”

Eddie’s immediately 100% more awake and 110% less hard. “Nancy? Is everyone alright?”

“Yes, everyone’s fine, it will just be easier to explain if you’re here.”

“Okay, okay, I will head out now, let me pack and leave a note for Wayne.” he says, though he’s already grabbing up some laundry from the dryer, the phone’s cable stretched nearly as far as it would go.

“How long until you’re here?”

“It’d normally be, what, 14 hours? But I drive fast.” he shifts his hold on the phone so it’s shoved between his ear and shoulder as he attempts to dress himself and stuff clothes into his duffel at the same time.

There’s silence on the other end.

“Nancy? What is it?”

“Are you able to call Steve? He’ll probably want to know too.”

Eddie pauses, grabbing the phone again from his shoulder. “The angel or the man?”

“...Yes?”

He chuckles at that, “Yeah sure, I’ll ask Steve if Stevie wants to come along.”

“Come along where, Eddie?”

“FUCK–” Eddie jumps at the angel’s arrival “Damn it, I keep forgetting about that..”

“Eddie? Everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah Nance, I’m fine. Steve’s here, so I will pack him up into the car too and we’ll be on our way.”

“See you tomorrow then? 8?”

“Sure, I’ll meet you at the diner, bye Nance.”

“Bye Ed.”

He hangs the receiver back on its cradle and drops his bag on the kitchen table, heading to the fridge and buttoning his pants up the rest of the way.

“Well, Steve? You up for a road trip?”

“Where are you going, Eddie?”

Eddie pulls the fridge door open and grabs up everything he’d need to make some sandwiches for the road. “That was Nancy, something is happening back in Hawkins. Wanna come?”

He whips up a couple bologna and mustard, and a couple good ol’ fashioned PB&J while the angel thinks it over.

“Very well Eddie, I will come with you. You are leaving now?”

“Yep! Well, as soon as I pack up some more road snacks. Those are very important.” He wraps the sandwiches in paper towels and throws them in a nearby cooler tote. “Grab some pop outta there, will ‘ya?” He gestures toward the fridge with his chin and grabs a couple more snacks. A bag of popcorn here, some leftover halloween candy there…is that expired?

“Steve said this is what you meant by ‘pop’.”

Eddie looks over to the angel who is holding a single can of Pepsi and chuckles.

“Yeah, that’s pop, bud. Can you grab like one or..12 more of those? Thanks.”

He goes back to what he was doing but something clicks.

“Wait, did you say ‘Steve said…’?”

The angel turns back to him, one arm miraculously full of 12 loose cans of cola. “Yes.”

“Steve. As in our Steve? He’s still in there with you?” He holds out the cooler for the cans which go in haphazardly at best. Damn now his sandwiches will be flat.

“Yes, your Steve. He..decided to stay with me here in his body.”

Eddie blinks once. Twice. “That’s such a paladin move.” he shakes his head and zips up the cooler. “Ya hear that Stevie? You don’t need to protect everyone all the time, doofus!”

The angel is silent, but tilts his head. “Steve says ‘That’s Dingus to you.’. Does that mean something?”

“Nah, that’s nothing to worry about.” he chuckles. “You ready to go, angel?”

“I am ready…human.”

Eddie’s brows shoot up into his hairline. “Did you just make a joke?”

“I did, yes.” The angel’s hand comes up to touch Eddie’s forehead with his first two fingers but he waves him off.

“Nuh uh, Big Boy, last time you zapped me somewhere I didn't poop for a week.” Ugh the dreaded week post Carolina tulpa hunt. Eddie shudders at the thought. “Nope. Never again. We’re drivin’.”

Eddie nudges at the angel to head out the door, hitting the lights and locking the door behind him as he goes. He turns around to find Steve still standing on the porch.

“Let’s go! Let’s go!” He shoos him toward the passenger side. “Get your fine, feathery ass in the car, Steve.”

“What is my rear fine for?” Steve asks him over the roof of the Impala, head tilted as usual.

Whoops. “Hopefully it’s fine for sitting. Now hurry up and use it to sit upon thine seat so we can go!” Nailed it.

—

They settle into the drive, Eddie immediately starting in on the ‘road snacks’ he’d packed at the house. They’re listening to Dean’s old cassette tapes, and the angel finds he quite likes the metal and hard rock, much to Steve’s dismay.

He’d been focusing on bobbing his head along to the sounds like Eddie had been when the other man turns down the stereo’s volume.

“So, you’ve got Stevie in there with you, huh?”

“Yes. He has been helping me understand human actions and emotions better. It makes it easier having him within my own head to…translate, I suppose would be the best way to put it.”

“Oh yeah? What is your favorite humanism so far?”

The angel thinks on that for a moment. “I would like to say it is your sarcasm. How you are able to communicate the complete opposite of what you are actually saying just by the tone of your voice, and that most everyone understands the same tone; but it, in of itself, is hard for me to catch onto so it is hard to say that it is my favorite.”

Eddie nods along to that. “Makes sense.”

“I think my favorite thing is when humans make up words on the spot for particularly difficult things to describe.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Well, you did just ask me what my favorite ‘humanism’ is, and I don’t believe that is a real word; though I did understand what you were trying to ask.” Steve acquiesces with a small smile in return.

“That’s a good answer, angel.” Eddie turns his head from the road momentarily to smile at him and the borrowed heart in his chest squeezes at the sight.

“So you said you have many siblings, are you close to any of them?”

“Only to Levanael, she is…to humans, she’d be my twin.”

“Steve has one of those!”

“Steve does not have siblings.”

Eddie scoffs, “Try telling that to him and Robin.”

‘Don’t actually try, I know she isn’t actually my twin.’ Steve says from within, in a tone that betrays the smile he’d wear if he had one. ‘He is only trying to relate the similarities between us.’

They talk on and off for the next several hours, and though he already knows everything there is to know about Theodore Munson, the angel listens intently for Steve. For him to learn more about the hunter.

It’s nearing 6pm when Eddie starts taking wide cracking yawns.

‘He’s barely been singing along through the last tape.’

“Are you alright, Eddie?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, just didn’t sleep too well last night. I’ll be fine. Only about five or six more hours to go.”

“You were sleeping just fine when--”

‘Shhhhh! Shush!!’

Eddie’s eyes open noticeably wider, though still locked in the road in front of him. “When?”

“When I checked in on you last night.”

‘Damn it, shut up!’

“You called for me in the middle of the night, so I came to check on you. Steve said you must’ve just been sleep-talking so I left.”

Eddie relaxes minutely hearing that.

‘Nice save. Now ask him if he wants me to drive so he can sleep.’

“Would you like Steve to drive?”

“No, no I’m still good. Promise.”

‘Liar.’

“Eddie, you are swerving off the road. Please allow Steve to take over.”

Eddie yawns another huge yawn. “Fine, fine, you win. Don’t crash her.”

“Who is ‘her’?”

“Nevermind, angel.” Eddie shakes his head with a short laugh, pulling off to the side of the road and parking the car.

The angel closes his eyes and retreats, allowing Steve to take back over his body.

Shrugging back into control, Steve gets out, leaving the passenger door open for Eddie.

Passing the other man around the hood, Eddie says, “Hey, Stevie, missed you.” before he devolves into another long yawn.

Steve chuckles, “I missed you too, Eddie.”

He climbs into the driver’s side and closes the door, a comment about the hilariously butt-shaped indent on this side of the wide bench seat on the tip of his tongue, only to look over and find the other man already snoring softly where he’s leant up against the passenger door.

“Sleep well, Eds.” is what he says instead, pulling back out onto the highway.

—-

Eddie dreams of arms around him, carrying him.

He’s also in pain, surely in the dream only, but it’s agonizing nonetheless.

He manages to open his eyes, to find Steve above him. Hurt and worry really don’t suit his features. A face like that only ever deserves to have calm and happy emotions painted across it.

Eddie hurts, he feels heavy with the pain in his sides, his chest, his face, but he needs to help Steve. Take away his worry.

He moves his arm so he can cup Steve’s face but It’s slow going, as if he’s fighting through molasses.

He finally manages it though, and Steve looks down at him in surprise. “Hey Stevie..” Wow, his voice sounds wrecked.

“H–Eddie? Hi Eddie, stay with me, alright? We’ll get you out of here. Don’t worry.” Steve’s voice is shaky. Where are they anyway? He’s only looking up at a sky; a dark, dark, sky whose clouds are illuminated every once in a while by flashes of red.

Damn, his imagination is something else.

“No worries, b-big boy, you’ve got me now, huh?” He tries to grin, smile at some inside joke (he couldn’t quite say where from), but the motion stings the left side of his face.

Steve chuckles faintly though, so he counts it as a win. “Yeah Eddie, Harrington’s gotcha. I’m not gonna leave you here.”

“S-sweet. I’m just gonna…take a quick nap, ‘kay?”

Eddie doesn't manage to hear Steve’s response to that though, as he’s woken up by the sharp pinging of his alarm.

“Wazzat..?”

“Hey, Eds, you good over there?”

Eddie rolls over to the sound of a voice, “Steve!” He says once he’s blinked the sleep away from his eyes enough to recognize the yellow blur seated at the end of the other bed.

“Hey, Eddie.” Steve smiles warmly at him.

“I was just dreamin’ about you.” Eddie rolls back over and presses his face back into his pillow.

“Only good things, I hope?” there’s still a smile in his voice.

That gives Eddie pause. “No, actually,” he rolls back over and sits up fully. “You were carrying me, and I must’ve been hurt pretty bad, we were both covered in blood and…you looked so sad, Stevie.”

Steve’s got a sad, worried frown on his face.

“Yeah, just like that!” Eddie points at him accusatory.

“Well of course I’d be sworried. I don’t want to lose you!”

“....Did you just combine the words ‘sad’ and ‘worried’ into ‘sworried’?”

Steve says nothing.

“Fuck, that's adorable.” Eddie mumbles (mostly) to himself and pushes himself up off his bed. “How’d I get in here, anyway? I don’t remember walking.”

“I carried you in once we got here.” Steve hands him a pair of jeans and a henley, “Hey, maybe that’s why you had a dream about me carrying you.”

Eddie just shrugs, and pulls on the offered clothes. “Makes sense. Alright, let me go do the patented Munson three-step beauty routine and we’ll get outta here.”

Steve smirks at him. “Three whole steps, huh?”

“Shit, Shave, and Sh-brush my teeth.” Eddie counts out on his fingers.

He really, really, likes the sound of Steve’s laugh.

Pt. 6 here!

wooooo part 5!! I don't think I have any notes for this one, onto the tags!: @undreaming-rambles, @thefreakandthehair, @potentialheartofdarkness, @munsonfamilyband, @evix-syne666, @mightbeasleep, @hardboiledleggs

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dzthenerd490 · 2 years ago

Text

Addendum: x-1

Warning! the following is to only be seen by administrators and O5 council members.

SCANNING

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CHECKING RANK DATA OF VIEWER

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RANK OF VIEWER CONFIRMED

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NO SIGNS OF TAMPERING DETECTED

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VIEWING OF ADDENDUM: X-1 APPROVED

the following is a written unredacted report of the details within the recording of Dr. Wicked during his encounters in the town of Wheelsy, South Carolina.

"Is this thing on? testing? testing? Ok good it works. ahem! Good evening, I am Dr. Wicked, and I am with a small investigation squad composed of disguised Iota-10 operatives. We are here to assess the situation on whether or not this squid man actually exists."

"Come on Doc, I think this is another prank call or mass hysteria. you know like that other small town that kept talking about sasquatch visiting their church."

"Uh, Bigfoot is real, man."

"Wait seriously?"

"Yeah, it's SCP-1000, don't you ever read the files?"

"Nah, I'm too scared to do that, I heard there was this one SCP that when you talk about it, it takes you away."

"Oh yeah that thing, but seriously man you really should know more about the SCP's."

"Ok that's enough, let's not make this recording longer than it needs to be. ahem! Anyways in case this is a biohazard anomaly two different de-briefing biohazard stations have been placed to keep anyone who might be infected with whatever this is from escaping and spreading any possible infections. Said biohazard stations are employed with MTF's Iota-10, Epsilon-6, and Epsilon-9 Troopers on standby should they be required. Oh, it looks like we have made it to the police station where most of the reports have been made so we will be departing right now.” One of the soldiers then opened the door and Dr. Wicked was the first of them to exit the small truck. Dr. Wicked was disguised as a CDC researcher while the three Iota-10's were wearing their FBI disguises, they then enter the sheriff's office to gain any local information and have the local law enforcement cooperate in containment if possible.

"Look Bill, just control this however you-" everyone in the station then goes silent when Dr. Wicked and the three Iota-10 agents enter the station.

"...huh... ahem! I am Dr. Wicked of the CDC and as you can see behind me are three FBI agents. We are here because we have heard several reports of a uh... squid man, who is causing trouble? We have reason to believe that this man is infected with a terrible disease, so we are here to find, contain and hopefully cure him."

"Oh no! no! no! no need! no need! we don't need the government coming here and causing trouble-"

"Well sorry sir but if not handled properly this could be a national emergency. So, we just need to speak to the sheriff and-"

"Ok listen, I am the mayor of this fine town and I say we got this under control." The sheriff and other law enforcers at the office then started chuckling to which the mayor quickly tried to shush them all.

"... really, well then Mr. Mayor, if you have this under control then would you mind telling me what uh... Mr. Grant is infected with."

"Oh... uh... well that's easy he uh... well he's obviously infected with Lymes disease!"

"... Lymes disease... you're sure about that?"

"Yeah, I mean you know, when you touch deer feces and then eat a sandwich without washing your hands and then bam!"

"... bam? you suddenly turn into a squid person?" The mayor looked back at Bill in anger while he and the other officers started laughing again. The mayor then turned back to Dr. Wicked who was looking more unamused and disappointed as time went on, leaving the mayor to smile nervously.

"Ok well um I think that's just people wanting attention. I mean, you know how boring life in a small town can be, some people just need to make stuff up."

"Uh Mayor the last time we saw Grant, his hand was all long and limping around like a noodle or something." The Mayor then looked at Dr. Wicked in fear but then smiled while the doctor just glared in disappointment.

"Ok um... Witcher right?"

"Dr. Wicked actually."

"Yeah, whatever anyways-"

"DR. WICKED!"

"...right, Dr. Wicked. um you know if your government folks start rolling in then people are gonna start to freak out, I can't have that."

"Wait so government folks are bad but Grant killing everybody's cows is ok?"

"Can you just shut your mouth for five seconds!"

"Ok, Mr. Mayor, listen to me. Like it or not we are here and you need us, and please rest assured during our time here we will be as discreet as possible, but if we need to evacuate this entire town then under the law of the U.S. Government as well as the safety of this town, we will do what is necessary, because with all due respect you're not the highest authority here anymore." The Mayor was dead silent out of intimidation and some of the officers even chuckled and so did the Iota-10 soldiers.

"Uh Bill, sorry to interrupt but there's been another attack."

"Attack?"

"Oh yeah, our honest-to-god Mayor forgot to tell you that Grant's been taking animals off of the farms from the edge of town."

"Ok then everyone, get your guns, this time we got these FBI folks with us but uh keep an eye on them we don't want to be at fault if they get Lymes disease!"

"Oh haha! fucking ha!"

"Oh, right uh, your government boys need a ride?"

"No, we got a van, we'll meet you there."

***

"... so, this is what the attacks normally look like." Dr Wicked and Sheriff Bill were at the farm field of the latest attack. Both were watching an officer and an Iota-10 soldier examine the field with a large blood trail and dog corpses.

"Naw this is actually pretty decent compared to the last one, you see Grant used to cut up the cows and just take the stomach and sometimes the head too but now he's taking the whole body."

"Interesting, how uh, how do you think he does that?"

"... you know for a guy from the big cities you don't seem very spooked by this, aren't your government folks supposed to be rich clean freaks?"

"Uh, no, and for the record just because I work for the CDC doesn't mean I'm a clean freak, I just happen to know more about diseases than most people. it's my job after all, which is the exact reason I'm asking as much as I can."

"... uh, right sorry."

"It's fine, so uh, it's normal for Grant to leave bits of the corpse of the dead livestock?"

"Yeah, guess he's starting to clean up."

"Hey Chief! I found another dog!" an officer in the tall grass then showed Bill, Wally and Dr. Wicked a mostly cleanly cut dog head.

"Oh god! put that down, numb nuts!"

"No wait! let me see that."

"You sure?! ok then” The officer then tossed the dog head to the ground in front of Dr. Wicked causing him to jump back.

"God damn it! I meant hand it to me you idiot!" Dr. Wicked glared at the officer while they just shrugged and walked off. Dr. Wicked then grunted and reluctantly picked up the dog head and started examining its neck.

"So, uh... you think he's gonna make it doc?" Dr. Wicked glared at Bill unamused while Bill who was smiling quickly stopped and remained silent. Dr. Wicked then sighed and looked back at the head of the dog.

"... Jesus, look at this cut, it's almost clean! How do you think Grant could do this?"

"Well, I'll tell you what I do know, Grant absolutely hates dogs." Dr. Wicked again glared at Bill with much more anger this time.

"I mean you know, because uh... this whole thing doesn't really strike me as the work of a dog lover..."

"Right..."

"Hey Bill! The trail ends in the forest!"

"He dragged the whole damn cow in there, how does one man do that?"

"Uh we've heard reports that Grant was a uh... squid man, could you elaborate on that?"

"I'm gonna be honest doc I know just as much as you, I haven't seen Grant since he tried to kill Starla and that was when his arm got all stretched out and was waving everywhere like a noodle or something. His face was all messed up too, it looked like he was hit with a mix of poison ivy and some kind of cancer."

"So, he's mutating, that would explain how he's able to drag a whole cow, he's probably twice his original size now."

"Twice his... Doc, that's crazy."

"I've seen crazier."

"Shit... ok Wally! make some calls, we need to get a posse ready, there's only one farm left that's close to the forest, we gonna get this son of a bitch tonight."

***

Dr. Wicked did not bother recording this moment as it was just the Sheriff Bill discussing the plan to capture Grant with his police officers and the local posse. Recording resumes after planning has ended.

"Alright everyone this ends tonight! lock and load!" Dr. Wicked then got on the phone and requested additional assistance from Epsilon-6 and two Epsilon-9 units. He made sure to inform them not to bother with disguises and just arm themselves. However, upon finishing his Call Starla showed up and started begging Bill to let her come. When Bill caved in, Dr. Wicked quickly intervened.

"Wait a civilian?! no, no way, out of the question! we are not letting a civilian join our manhunt... squid hunt... we can't endanger a civilian! I'm sorry Ma'am but you need to leave!"

"Doc, it's ok Starla is Grant's wife."

"All the more reason for them not to make contact, what if he's contagious?! Do you want her to get infected?"

"Look Mister! Grant is my husband! I promised him I would be by his side for better or worse! And if you want to stop me then you're gonna have to shoot me!"

"... ok." Dr. Wicked then pulled out his pistol and pointed it right at Starla's head. Bill pulled out his pistol at Dr. Wicked, but the MTF quickly drew their guns much faster on him. in response the other officers and possie volunteers drew their weapons as well. They were quickly out gunned; However, Dr. Wicked did not stand down, in fact he had little reason too. Soon two more vans pulled in and out of both came out four Epsilon-6 Troopers in standard Military armor and a single Epsilon-9 flamethrower unit. The Epsilon 6 Troopers quickly surrounded everyone with their rifles ready to fire. Bill and the other officers and volunteers laid their guns on the ground and put their hands up.

Dr. Wicked smiled at their defeat but glared at Starla in disappointment when he saw that she wasn't budging. Instead, she put her hand on his gun and pointed it right on her forehead thus ensuring her own fate should Dr. Wicked pulled the trigger.

"Ain't no stuck-up government prick gonna keep me from helping my husband. So, either shoot or fuck off!" Dr. Wicked looked like he was actually going to pull the trigger for a moment, but he quickly pulled his gun up and sighed in annoyance.

"... Hmph, of all places, why did it have to be here?" Dr. Wicked then ordered the MTF's to stand down as he got into his Van without saying a single word.

***

Later that night the police force and volunteers as well as reinforcements from Iota-10, Epsilon-6, and Epsilon-9 were all hiding around a field where a single cow was eating grass in pieces. At one of the hiding spots Bill and Wally were watching in boredom while Starla and Dr. Wicked were sitting in the back. Dr. Wicked was still very unhappy that Starla was there.

"So uh, Starla, are you in any medical profession or military at least?"

"Uh no, I'm actually a schoolteacher."

"... right."

"But uh, you're from the CDC so you can help Grant, right?"

"*sigh* ma'am, we are going to do whatever we can to find the source of Grant's sickness, contain it and hopefully find a cure for Grant, but um... I want you to be prepared should we need to find more... lethal methods to stop the infection." Starla then looked at Dr. Wicked in fear while he continued to look at her in all seriousness.

"Hey Doc, come on. Why do you gotta say stupid shit like that?"

"I just think she should be prepared for the possibility that we may have to get more drastic in order to keep the safety of the public in check."

"Is that why you brought all these damn military soldiers, I mean come on what is this Afghanistan?"

"They're an extra safety measure, we know absolutely nothing about Grant's current situation, so we need to be prepared for any possible..."

"... Doc?" Dr. Wicked then pointed out to the field and then Starla, Bill, and Wally turned to see a heavily mutated Grant slithering his way toward the cow.

"G- Grant?"

"Ho. ly. shit."

"That is the most fucked up thing I have ever seen..."

"...meh, I've seen worse." Bill, Starla, and Wally then looked at Dr. Wicked in both confusion and Horror. Just then Grant killed the cow and started dragging its corpse away into the forest.

"Ok good he's on the move, I think we should follow his trail so that we can find his nest and hopefully the source of- where the fuck is she going?!" Bill and Wally then turned back to the field and saw that Starla was walking after Grant. The other policemen and troopers then left their hiding spots in confusion to which Bill and Dr. Wicked quickly ordered them all to follow her and Grant. It didn't take long for them all to stumble across another wide field in the forest and to which Starla cried out to Grant which surprisingly made him stop. Everyone then quickly surrounded Grant while Starla continued to talk to him.

"... it's ok Grant, you're just sick is all. you're just sick." Some of the soldiers and police officers looked at each other wondering if Starla actually believed that or if she was just trying to comfort Grant.

"We got some people from the CDC! here to get you the help you need." Starla then looked at Dr. Wicked and he looked at her frightened knowing that now he had to step forward. He was shaking the entire time but regardless he continued to walk toward and stand right by Starla.

"*sigh* God damn it, Ahem! uh, hello Grant. I am Dr. Wicked of the CDE- ABC- bah! the- the CDC! Ahem! A- And believe it or not we’ve seen cases like yours but believe me there are those that have got it way worse than you! um, regardless we learned a thing or two so if you just come with us then we can help you, we can build you a brand-new body. you just need to take Starla's hand and let her lead you to the biohazard debriefing station."

"That's right, Grant, I'm gonna stay by you just like I swore I would! for better or worse!"

"Much fucking worse." Grant then growled at Bill, to which Dr. Wicked glared back at him in fearful frustration.

"Shut up! For the love of God!"

"Grant! marriage is a sacred bond, right baby?" Again, the soldiers then looked at each other in disgust wondering how Starla could say that to an abomination of flesh and tentacles. Grant then roared at them all and was about to leave but then one of the farmers got in front of him.

"Stop right there, you son of a bitch!" Dr. Wicked then signaled two soldiers to stand by him and keep Grant from escaping.

"Now I don't care what kind of leprosy you got! We need to find that girl, so you can either make this peaceful or me and these boys will blow a hole in your tentacle ass." The two soldiers then looked at the farmer in disgust. Dr. Wicked noticed how aggravated Grant looked and panicked.

"Tranquilizers! Open fire!” The soldiers armed with tranquilizer guns then shot Grant in the back, but he just looked at them all in annoyance then he turned back to the farmer and two soldiers and then swung his tentacle at them. Luckily one of the soldiers ducked in time but the farmer and the other soldier weren't so lucky and instantly fell apart from being cut in two.

"FUCK! OPEN FIRE!"

"TAKE EM OUT!" Just then everyone started shooting at Grant, but he slithered away, though he happened to slither by the one soldier that ducked. When the soldier noticed him, he quickly jumped on Grant and tried to grab onto him. The soldier held on tight and pulled out his knife and started stabbing Grant. Grant quickly used his tentacles to throw him off and whip him into pieces while in the air. The pieces of the soldier then went flying into the trees. The sight was horrific, but no one was stopping; they were all chasing through the forest to get Grant once and for all. However, it was quite clear quickly they weren't making good progress. Grand was slithering extremely quickly, and in the woods, he was impossible to catch up to.

"Shit! activate the drones!" Two of the soldiers then stopped in place while two other soldiers reached in their backpacks and activated anomalous biohazard detection drones. They were new models and still experimental, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Thankfully the worked and were able to not only fly correctly but detect the anomalous mutations on Grant. The drones were pursuing him quickly and with the connected computer pads the soldiers were able to see what the drones saw. Bill saw the drones in the air and looked at Dr. Wicked who was right by him.

"Doc? what the hell are those things?"

"Their drones! It's a miracle they work since they're still in the experimental phase! We adapted them from the kinds of drones that the military uses!"

"Military! Doc what they hell are you using military tech for?!" Dr. Wicked then stopped running and held his hand in front of Bill to keep him still. Dr. Wicked then glared at Bill in disappointment.

"Sheriff Bill, the livestock of your town are dying, a woman is missing, and one of your citizen's named Grant has turned into a giant squid monster. Do you really think using military tech is overkill right now?"

"... Fair enough..."

"Dr. Wicked! Over here!" Dr. Wicked and Bill then ran over to where everyone else was and found them all huddled around an old shed where the drones were hovering in front of. One of the soldiers then walked up to Dr. Wicked and showed him a pad screen to see what the drone saw.

"It looks like a large anomalous biological entity in that shed."

"Hey, I hear Brenda crying in there!"

"Interesting, that must mean we found the nest, either that or we found the source of Grant's mutations. which means he's probably mutating this Brenda right now."

"Uh, wait does that mean we could be mutated too if we go in the shed?"

"Only one way to find out, I'm afraid." Bill and his officers along with the MTF soldiers were now all filled with fear at the possibility of becoming an abomination like Grant. Bill then sneaked over to a soldier and nudged him in the shoulder.

"Alright you heard him, open it."

"Wha-?! me?! you open it!"

"Hey, your military, you should be prepared for this kind of shit."

"You're the sheriff! this is your deal, you open it!"

"Will one of you morons just open it!" Both the soldier and Bill grunted; Bill then held out his hand to signal he wanted to play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The Soldier Agreed and they went on three with Bill giving Paper and the soldier going for Rock but quickly changing to Scissors.

"... you suck." Bill then grunted in annoyance and went over to the door of the shed. Bill looked back and all the officers and soldiers had their guns ready. Bill then quickly opened it and was the first to charge inside. However, he quickly stopped when he saw the state of Brenda.

"Somethings wrong with me!"

"... uh... yeah..."

"Oh my god!"

"Dear lord!"

"Ugh..."

"... Meh, I've seen worse." Everyone, even his own soldiers, looked at Dr. Wicked in either fear or annoyance.

"Sorry! sorry... it's become a habit of me to say that." Brenda's torso then moved which spooked everyone but then she just stayed still just as fast.

"Ok that's interesting. Hey Bill! go talk to her, keep her calm while I do a checkup." Bill then looked at Dr. Wicked in confusion.

"You sure doc? I'm no doctor but... I think it might just be a cold."

"Just talk to her will you!"

"Bill? Is that you? How's my boy? Is he alright?"

"Oh uh, your boy is fine Brenda." Bill then walked up to Brenda to talk to her while Dr. Wicked walked to her side to examine her. He got out a handheld bio scanner to see what was going on with her internally.

"Ahem! So uh, what's... what's going on here... exactly?" Dr. Wicked then looked at Bill in disappointment while Bill just shrugged.

"I'm so fucking hungry Bill, I never knew anyone could be so hungry... could you uh, pass me a bit of that possums over there. just a little bit." Just as the mayor left the shed to puke. Dr. Wicked realized from the results he was getting that under Brenda's skin were thousands of slugs.

"Ok, I think we best get you to a hospital right quick."

"What the fuck are they supposed to do with her in a hospital, Bill?"

"Shut up. Doc can help her. Doc, you can help her, right?"

"Uh... no, we need to go!" Just then Brenda started moving.

"Why is she doing that?!"

"Her torso is moving!"

"Doc do something!"

"There's nothing I can do! we need to go!" Brenda started moving even more.

"Someone, make her stop doing that shit!"

"Doc, we are not leaving Brenda! Give her some penicillin or something!"

"Penicil- OH MY GOD LISTEN TO ME! THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF SLUG LIKE PARASITES ROAMING AROUND INSIDE HER AND THEY ARE GOING TO BURST OUT OF HER AND CRAWL RIGHT UP OUR ASSHOLES IF WE DON'T GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

"... what?" Just then Brenda's flesh started tearing up.

"AAAH! THE FUCKERS ARE TEARING ME APART!"

"Oh, fuck it. I tried to warn them." Dr. Wicked then ran for the barn door and quickly closed it.

"BURN IT DOWN!” Then the two Epsilon-9 units started their flamethrowers and lit the barn up while the other troopers backed up and were ready to fire. However, it was too late, the slugs burst the door down and quickly overwhelmed everyone. Though of course not right away some of the soldiers managed to keep standing long enough to shoot a few of the slugs but in the end most of the soldiers were overwhelmed.

Those who were left heard Bill shout, "cover your mouth!" and most listened instantly though others didn't need to since their mouths were already covered by helmets and mouthguards. In the end the slugs left and the only ones not infected were the Mayor, Starla, Bill, Margaret, Dr. Wicked, and five soldiers.

"Ugh! they tried to get into my mouth! pfft! What kind of thing wants you to eat it?!"

"a parasite that's what, be thankful it didn't get you." Bill left the shed and confronted Dr. Wicked while filled with frustration and annoyance.

"*cough, cough* ugh... hey yeah- by the way thanks for the help doc! Yeah, you're a regular saint ain't ya!"

"oh, stuff a sock in it! I told you there was nothing I could do, if you would have just listened to me and ran, we would have burned this barn down by now and no one would have been infected by those parasites." Bill then calmed down for he couldn't deny that Dr. Wicked was correct. However, he didn't blame himself either since no sane person would have believed that Brenda would have exploded into a thousand parasite-like slugs, yet it did happen. However, what caught Bill's attention the most was how Dr. Wicked only seemed a little annoyed but not as scared as everyone else given the Nightmare that just happened.

"You... You know Doc, you act like you know these things, do you know what this is, please say yes."

"... no, I've never encountered anything like this, just worse."

"Worse?! god damn it you keep saying that! You mean there's stuff like this happening in other places?!"

"That's all I can say, so just use your imagination." Dr. Wicked then walked to one of the dead MTF's and administered a strange syringe into him. Dr. Wicked then looked at the other MTF's and just shook his head to which they all looked frustrated.

"... fuck... ok, Shelby, Shelby come in... Shelby, come in! ... shit! I can't contact the station."

"Allow me, checkpoint 1 come in, we have a biohazard breach... checkpoint 1 come in... checkpoint 2 can you hear me... checkpoint 2 respond! damn it we're too deep in the forest we need to get back to town to get a clearer signal."

"Hey, wait doc, what about your guys and our guys? We can't just leave them here."

"We don't even know what's happening to them and even if we did, we don't have the proper equipment to help them. The best thing we can do is get back to town and radio back up."

"Alright, fine, but I'm comin with you."

"That's fair, the rest of you should stay here, you four, I want you to stay behind and keep them safe, as for you, come with us and watch our backs in case Grant ambushes us. Alright then let's move out."

***

Dr. Wicked, Bill, and the Epsilon-6 soldier were walking through the forest. All of them are quite shaken and ready to get out of the forest given the horrible experience they both witnessed and experienced. The soldier was especially on edge wondering if one of those slugs were going to ambush one of them again.

The soldier's paranoia ended up being justified when he heard something roaming around the forest. Bill pulled out his pistol and Dr. Wicked did the same, the three of them then huddled together with their guns all pointed out ready to shoot at anything that shows up. Then suddenly an entity then jumped out of the bushes and all three of them jumped back with Dr. Wicked giving off a high-pitched screaming. The three of them pointed their guns at the entity only for it to just be a simple deer.

"Oh..."

"Huh... she's a beauty..."

"Yeah... he, nice reaction there, Doc."

"Oh, shut up, for all you know it could have been Grant." Now that the three were calm they looked at the Deer as it peacefully walked away. For a moment it was like the nightmare had ended. Then they were reminded of the nightmare when a slug slid on the deer and entered its mouth forcing it to fall into a comatose state.

"Ugh! God damn it, Grant! you killed the beauty of nature!"

"Shit we can't let these worms get into the town. Come on, let's pick up the pace!" Dr. Wicked grunted and followed Bill but then the Epsilon-6 soldier grabbed Dr. Wicked's hand to hold him back.

"Sir, it's more than likely the parasites have made it into the town and if they do it's extremely likely that all infected hosts will become anomalous variants of Grant. shouldn't we consider this town lost?"

"... of course, it's lost, that's why we're trying to contact the Checkpoint bases to get us and the remaining civilians out of here so we can blow this city to oblivion before the entity gets out."

"Oh, uh, of course sir."

"Don't worry, we know its parasite-based pathogen anomaly now and the parasites aren't microscopic, meaning we have viable evidence that we aren't infected. The Foundation won't abandon us, not with all the data we collected. As for the civilians... well in normal circumstances they would be expendable but I'm not as heartless as the O5, so let's at least try to save who we can."

***

The Following is another recording from one of the soldier's assisting the civilians with the infected hosts. The following audio is added for context in future events of the recording.

"Hey, are they still alive?" After checking their pulse, Starla nodded to confirm.

"Praise Jesus."

"Praise Jesus?! All of this shit is as far from God as the devil himself, I never seen this kind of shit before! and I watch Animal planet!" The MTF soldiers started laughing a little to which the mayor looked at them annoyed.

"Well glad to know you boys are still having fun!" The MTF soldiers were dragging the bodies and putting them closely together. Starla noticed this and was confused.

"Um excuse me, I think it would be better if we keep them farther apart." the MTF looked at Starla for a little bit and then just ignored her and went to get another body.

"Hey! We need to give them space!" Starla tried to stop one of the MTF soldiers, but he just shook his arm out of her grasp and continued to ignore her. The Mayor and Margaret then got one of the bodies out of the barn, the MTF soldiers quickly just pushed them out of the way and took it to put it close to the others.

"Ha?! You see that! These government folks don't care if we fall so long as they get what they want! I bet you they're gonna try to turn Grant into some kind of weapon! I saw that in a movie once! government folks' are always doing stupid shit like that! Not me though, I'm like one of the people you know? I tell you what when all this shit ends, I'm gonna sue that CDC doctor! you'll help me right Margret?! I don't care that you're a Lesbo, we all gotta stand together against these corrupt cock suckers!" Once the MTF's were done they looked at the mayor, who looked scared at first but then flipped them off. The MTF just ignored him and focused on the bodies again.

Starla couldn't help but look at the MTF's in anger as they just ignored the people around them. Starla was then shocked to see one of the MTF grab a flamethrower from the body of an Epsilon-9 soldier. He then armed it and pointed it at the bodies while the others stood back, He didn't ignite but the sight still shocked Starla.

"Hey! what are you doing?"

"It's just a precautionary measure ma'am."

"Ha! see! I told you government folks are bad news! they're trying to erase the evidence of this even happening! You’re not gonna erase us, cock suckers!" The mayor then tried to lift up his rifle but one of the MTF proved to be faster by pulling out their own pistol and shot the rifle out of the mayor's grip.

"Ah! ... uh... ok I surrender."

"*sigh* I already said it's a precaution. We don't know what the parasites are doing to them. If push comes to shove, we need to be ready to face whatever the parasites have in store, even burn the bodies if we must."

"And let me tell you, keeping the hosts alive is normally not a good sign."

"You don't even know if the parasites are killing them!"

"Trust me, I would prefer they did do that, but as I said, keeping the host alive is a really bad sign. we're not actually going to burn them if we don't have to, but we need to be prepared."

"Prefer they kill them?! What kind of soldiers are you?! aren't you supposed to protect civilians?!"

"Look man'am humanity's survival is our priority! But frankly, if we have to burn a few people to ensure this. Then we will do it without hesitation!" Starla was now furious with the MTFs and tried to walk towards one to push him away. However, the MTF with the flamethrower pointed it right at her, making Starla stop in her tracks.

"No single life is above the survival of all humanity, not your friends and most certainly not you!"

"He... hey! .... hey!" Starla and the MTF unit felt chills up their spine as they heard Wally start talking. Wally then raised himself up and started standing up while his body was standing crooked and flimsy like something that wasn't familiar with his body was possessing him.

"You... You outta watch... where you point a weapon like that... especially when you point it at someone's wife..."

"Wally? You, ok? You don't look so good."

"I don't think that's the Wally you know." Suddenly the others started rising up as well, quickly surrounding everyone and two even grabbed Margret.

"Listen... sugar plum..." suddenly they were all now talking at once.

"I'm sorry for scaring you earlier like that... I just... nature calls you know? ... and this... is my nature now... I know it's a lot to take in... but just so you know... I never stopped thinking about you... but sometimes... you gotta do what you gotta do..." The Wally host then spat at Margaret, she started screaming in pain as her neck started swelling up, then she died due to the massive inflammation.

"Oh my god!"

"Jesus Christ!"

"Grant! if that's really you then please stop baby! just stop!"

"Sugar plum, this is who I am! ... I can't stop this, and neither can you! ... but why would you want to anyways? you said it yourself... Marriage is a sacred bond... for better or worse... are you saying... now that you've seen my worst... you want me gone?!" Several of the hosts started hissing and roaring to show the acid building up in their mouths. one or two of them even started laughing thinking they had all the power. However, the MTF soldiers still had their guns and flamethrower but also made it clear to the hosts when they raised them up. The hosts only had enough time to react in fear before being torched and shot down by the MTFs. The only host left was Wally, the MTFs were about to fire on him but Starla got a shotgun and aimed it at him instead.

"You... You bitch! ... you think you can stop me! ... no one can stop me! ... Besides, admit it! ... you're nothing without me! ... I gave you a comfortable life and this is how you repay me! ... I am your husband! ... sacred bond my ass! ... you just like take and take-” Starla then shot the Wally host in the head. In response the parasite slug crawled out of the head and started fleeing. One of the MTFs saw where it was going and quickly jumped after it, grabbing it before it could escape.

The MTF then struggled to keep the slug still while another MTF grabbed a biohazard sample bag and opened it up. After they got it bagged, they both took a deep breath of relief after catching the sample.

"Alright we got a sample! now let's get out of here before the situation gets worse."

"Worse? Most of my police force is dead, Brenda turned into a goddamn balloon filled with parasite slugs, and those slugs are turning people into Grant talking zombies! How the hell could it possibly get worse?!" as if one que, several straggler slugs started slithering form the woods and right towards them.

"Shit! Run!" The MTF with the flamethrower blazed the ground to cut off the slugs and quickly ran with everyone else before the slugs started going around the flames. Every so often he scorched trees and bushes with flames to keep the slugs off their trail.

***

The MTF's recording from this point was unintelligible due to all the running and fire blocking out their voices. The following audio is back to Dr. Wicked, Sheriff Bill, and the MTF soldier for clear context.

"Hey, is that drone working yet?"

"Uh no sir, I think we pushed it over its limit, it was a prototype."

"I tell you Doc, I still don't know why the CDC has military tech but right now I certainly ain't complaining. I just wish we had more."

"don't worry Sheriff, once we get into contact with the Biohazard Checkpoints, we'll be able to call in reinforcements, tell them what happened here so they can come prepared, then contain this whole nightmare while we get out."

"Wait, get out? Doc, don't you want to help these people?"

"I work better in a lab than in the field, besides we need all the help we can get to contain this thing before it spreads. Frankly I think myself to be WAY too under equipped for this situation. But hey, if you wanna stay and fight this head on without the proper equipment then by all means go for it." Bill was annoyed by how cold and logical Dr. Wicked was, but he had nothing to say in response. It was true, they were massively unprepared for what Grant had in store for them. Also, Bill didn't really want to admit it, but he also wanted to leave and just let the CDC handle this mess. Now that they were out, the forest, the three of them started running while Bill was trying his radio and Dr. Wicked was trying his. However, they were still too far away from town to get anything. Then suddenly Dr. Wicked managed to contact Checkpoint 2 since they were at the edge of town.

"This is Biohazard Checkpoint 2, who the hell is this?!"

"This is Dr. Wicked! Requesting immediate assistance now! Sent out a request for MTF Lambda-12 to be deployed with Chi-7 on standby! As well as three evacuation vehicles with a medical team! I have survivors and MTF forces incapacitated by an unknown parasitic pathogen!"

"Ah! damn it, burn them! Sorry sir, but that request might be delayed! We're being overrun by an unknown swarm of slugs! they have a crimson blood texture and no visible sensory organs!"

"What?! Those are the parasites! Don't let them into your mouth! Repeat, do not let them into your mouth! ... hello? Hello?! Damn it, I can't reach them anymore! How they hell did the slugs get that far so fast!"

"Shit they probably already hit the town! Come one Doc, pick up the pace!" Bill then ran towards Otis's house with the MTF soldier and Dr. Wicked following him. Suddenly they heard yelling and screaming coming from the front of the house. Bill ran up to the house and saw Otis and his family attacking their own car.

"Hey! Hey, what's going on?! what the hell are you all doing?!" Kylie then ran out of the truck and right towards Sheriff Bill.

"Whoa, easy, easy."

"Hey! Are you alright? you're covered in boils! Did those slugs get you?!"

"Oh hey Doc... this... no, no... this must be poison ivy... from out back I recon."

"Ok, that's definitely not normal."

"No, don't listen to them! they're not my parents! The worms are in their brains!" Dr. Wicked and Bill looked at each other in fear, they then looked at Otis and his family and sure enough. They were not moving or acting normal, like they were possessed. Both Dr. Wicked and Bill knew that Kylie was right about the worms but that didn't make them any less afraid.

"Shit... uh ok! you guys stay right there! Kylie's going to come with me! And uh... I'm gonna get you folks paramedic!" Dr. Wicked glared at Bill in disappointment as it was clearly not convincing the infected hosts. Bill noticed Dr. Wicked's glare and just shrugged since he couldn't think of anything better to say.

"Hey there Killer!" Suddenly another Host showed up with a shovel ready to strike down Bill, but thankfully the MTF soldier behind Bill noticed this and shot him down. The host was on his knees and filled with holes but was still twitching as if the Worm was trying to maintain control.

"Starla's... my woman... you prick..." the host then died but before anyone could react, another host ambushed the MTF and tried to steal his gun. However, the soldier managed to shake off the host and shoot him too. Dr. Wicked then got out his pistol and Bill did the same and they started shooting as many of the hosts as they could. However, Bill started to hesitate as Kylie's family was getting closer, then he had to dodge when one of the little girls spat the bio acid. Dr. Wicked then had to dodge as well with the hosts getting closer.

"Damn it, there's too many of them! We gotta get out of here now!"

"Our vehicles are right there! Come on, haul ass!" The MTF Trooper ran to the cars and Dr. Wicked, Bill, and Kylie followed him. After clumsily getting over the fence, Bill got Kylie in his car while standing outside and shooting at more Hosts. Dr. Wicked and the MTF soldier did the same for their van to hold the Hosts off as much as possible.

"Sheriff! Just get in and get the girl out of here!"

"My friends are still out there! we can't just leave them!"

"Uh, but I guess we can wait for them to come to us!" Dr. Wicked then pointed at Starla, Jack and the other three MTF Troopers running from several hosts.

"God damn it! what the hell is going on?!" Bill then got in his car after barely managing to dodge several acid spits. Dr. Wicked saw that one of the running MTF Troopers had a captured parasite and ordered them to quickly get to the Van. With the Host's closing in and surrounding them Dr. Wicked was cut off from the van and went to Bill's car instead.

"Sir, hold on, we'll clear a way for you!"

"Negative! get that sample and get the hell out of here! go now!" The MTF units all went into the van and just barely managed to dodge the acid spits. The Van then drove off but not before hitting a Host that was attacking Jack. As the van passed by it stopped and opened a door and an MTF Trooper got out to let Starla in. However, she instead grabbed his gun and shot several Hosts and even the Host the van hit several times while screaming in anger. All while Jack, Bill, Dr, Wicked, Kylie, and all the MTF soldiers watched in both horror and amazement.

After Starla unloaded the entire clip on a single Host, she took a deep breath and handed the gun back to the MTF soldier who fearfully took it. The MTF then pushed her away and shot down another Host trying to ambush them. The van then drove off and Starla helped Jack up and got into Bill's car. They then drove off as the remaining Hosts chased after them.

***

Bill drove his police car, with Starla in the front seat, Kylie and Jack in the back and Dr. Wicked uncomfortable sitting in-between them. Nobody really said anything because they were all still coping with the fact that the townsfolk were now all zombies possessed by bloody slugs.

"so... How's everybody's evening? Good?"

"What. Do you think?"

"... I'm just trying to stay positive Doc." Dr. Wicked just groaned in annoyance, he then saw the MTF van in front of them and got his radio out.

"All remaining Units, this is Dr. Wicked, can you read me? Over."

"We read you sir. What are our orders? Over."

"Get to Biohazard Checkpoint 1 and send that sample to the Foundation as soon as possible. Don't wait for us, we will catch up with you. Over."

"Sir, shouldn't we turn around and head to Biohazard Checkpoint 2? Over."

"Negative Checkpoint 2 has been compromised, head to Checkpoint 1 and hurry. Over and out!" Now that Bill was calm, he could think more clearly and remembered about Shelby. He quickly got his own radio and called her.

"Shelby... Shelby you there?"

"Hey Chief, how you doin?" Everyone then sighed in relief except for Dr. Wicked for he forgot who Shelby was.

"Shelby, have you seen these uh... well I don't know what to call them, just these big red slugs that are really fast."

"Uh no... no slugs, but your mamma called. she said the toilet is backed up again."

"Shelby, I need you to listen to me we-"

"She says it's because of your accident last Sunday."

"... Alright I need you to get the CDC on the horn for me, ok? tell them we got Dr. Wicked with-"

"The CDC?! Just tell her to get the hell out of there!"

"wha? But Doc what about the-"

"Bill! tell her to evacuate and to get as many people as she can to do the same! Tell them to get to the road leading out of town they'll find Biohazard Checkpoint 1. Tell her that now!"

"Ok, ok! Shelby listen to me, scratch that call to the CDC, go home, get your stuff, and get the hell out of town. Tell anyone you come across to do the same! ... Shelby, are you nodding?"

"Oh, uh yeah, I'll get to it. you want me to stay in contact?"

"Yes, Shelby, just get out of there and please pick up my mom, ok?"

"she's gonna be mad that you're ignoring the toilet issue."

"... Shelby, just do it." Bill then put down the radio and noticed everyone looking at him.

"Uh... my mom has a tree in the front yard, it messes with the sewage line. you know how it is."

"Sheriff Bill, we have bigger issues, let's just get out of here and let the reinforcements take care of it... but seriously CDC, pfft! what the hell could they do." Jack, Bill, and Starla then looked at Dr. Wicked with concern and confusion.

"... What?"

"Aren't- Aren't you from the CDC?" Dr. Wicked's eyes widened for he just realized he messed up and revealed something

"Uh... about that..."

"Oh god damn it..."

"This better be fucking good..."

"*sigh* ok I guess you have all seen enough to not get shocked anymore so fuck it. I'm not from the CDC, I'm actually a researcher that works for an organization called the SCP foundation. We secure, we contain, and we protect anomalous entities and objects that interfere with the normalcy of everyday life... kinda like what's happening right now."

"... What is that why you keep saying you've seen worse? Because you quite literally seen worse?!"

"so, wait you fucker's deal with this shit on a regular basis yet even you don't know what they fuck this is?!"

"Every anomaly is different, Mayor! It's kinda why they're called anomalies! because they don't make sense when compared to our standards of normalcy and understanding of the laws of physics. Ahem! As far as we could tell, the worst thing about this anomaly was that there was a squid person roaming around. I personally thought it was a Sarkic cultist but no, apparently it's worse than that."

"Sarkic cultist?"

"Never mind! Look, the point is that we failed at the first attempt of containment but it's ok! Once we get to Checkpoint 1, we can deliver the sample and info we've cataloged and have MTF Lambda-12 and Chi-7 forces contain this mess and get you all to safety."

"You won't be safe... not from him..." Dr. Wicked, Jack, Bill, and Starla were now looking at Kylie in concern and fear.

"I was him... part of him..."

"Who? Kylie, who?"

"Grant, Starla's husband." Dr. Wicked, Bill, and Jack then looked at Starla in shock.

"Wait, now that I think about it those acid spitting freaks were talking to Starla like they were Grant when they woke up."

"Hey Bill, didn't one of the Hosts tell you that Starla was his woman?"

"Yeah, then he called me a Prick... just like Grant would. So wait, Kylie, are you saying all these worms are connected to Grant?"

"Yeah, but he wasn't always Grant. His real face looks like a needle, and he comes from." Kylie then starts shaking out of fear as she pointed to the sky.

"Wait, are you saying it's a goddamn Martian?"

"Martians are from Mars, Jack."

"It's a general term meaning out space, fucker."

"No, it ain't!"

"Look it up cocksucker!"

"Both you idiots shut up!" Dr. Wicked growled at them both; Bill and Jack just grunted as they remained silent.

"... and for the record Martian is not a general term at all... also Martians don't look like that." Bill and Jack then looked at Dr. Wicked again in confusion.

"Ahem, anyways Kylie please continue, you're saying this needle creature is what's causing Grant's anomalous state and it's from outer space?"

"He goes from place to place, entire worlds and planets... killing them. Some he gets pregnant, others he infects with his worms, and the rest he eats. He doesn't stop till they're gone. That's why we're not safe, he's been doing this for centuries across hundreds of worlds. He won't stop hunting us down till we are either pregnant, infected, or his food."

"So, are all the worms are connected? Like they're all one big deal?"

"They're a conscious disease..."

"And Grant is right at the center." Dr. Wicked then checked his audio recorder to see if it was getting all of this and sighed in relief that it was.

"I see, thank you Kylie, with this information the MTF's and researchers will be able to stop this thing."

"No, you don't understand. He gets stronger the more he infects and eats. If you want to stop him, you need to rip him apart or even burn him!"

"Ok... then we'll do that." Kylie couldn't understand how Dr. Wicked was so calm considering he just experienced the same nightmare they did.

"Hm, if there's anything to admire about the Foundation it's that we're persistent bastards. Regardless of how dangerous it is, we don't stop until it's contained."

"Doc, I don't mean to be critical here but maybe it would be better to kill this thing instead of containing it." Starla looked at Bill fearfully.

"Ah, well I mean... "

"If it comes down to it, Sheriff, we might just do that. However, it's always better to at least try to contain the unknown first so that you can study it. Can't properly kill something until you know how it works first." Dr. Wicked then noticed Starla seeming increasingly depressed; he then leaned forward to place his hand on her shoulder.

"Containment is only the first step. Once we understand this monster, we will know how to deal with it. If it's possible to save your husband, we will be the first to know and the first to help." Starla actually smiled and thanked Dr. Wicked, they weren't on good terms at first but now that they were in this mess together it seemed only fitting that they rely on each other more.

"GAH! GOD DAMN IT!"

"Ah!"

"Jack what the hell is it?!"

"God damn it there's no Mr. Pib!" Starla, Bill, and Kylie sighed in relief while Dr. Wicked glared at Jack in seething rage.

"I fucking told your secretary to pack a Mr. Pib! God damn it!" Dr. Wicked then smacked Jack on the back of the head.

"Ah! you cock sucker!"

"Shut up you idiot! We have bigger things to worry about!"

"Ok everyone, calm down! We're at the edge of town, everything's going to be ok!" Starla smiled at first but as they got close everyone saw the town sign covered in slugs.

"God damn it there here too." Dr. Wicked then got on his radio to contact Checkpoint 1.

"Hey! This is Dr. Wicked. Did you boys get the sample out of here? Over?"

"Dr. Wicked? yes, we got the sample but- ah! God damn it!"

"What is it? what's wrong?!"

"Sir we managed to seal ourselves at Checkpoint 1, but the base is currently surrounded by parasites! We already sent a request for appropriate MTF reinforcements, but we don't know how long it will take!"

"Damn it!"

"Sir, you should know, after we reported our situation... a proposal was made to incinerate the town."

"What?!"

"Sir, the infection is spreading too fast. Higher ups are getting scared and thinking it would be better to cut our losses. Sir if you have anything left to do, I recommend you do it now and get the hell out of here! Shit, Hosts are coming everyone get ready for a breach!"

"Hey, wait did Shelby and my mom get there?!"

"Uh wait, Checkpoint 1, did any civilians make it out of the town?"

"What?! uh, no! No Sir! No civilians have left the town! Shit! Sorry sir, I need to help reinforce the door!"

"Ok! We'll be passing you by soon, keep us posted! *sigh* Damn it... Sorry Bill."

"God damn it, what the hell is that girl doing?" Bill then got his radio to contact Shelby.

"Shelby where are you? For the love of god, please don't tell me you forgot to bring your radio."

"Welcome back... Killer..." Chills went up everyone's spine, they were too late, the parasites got everyone; they were now the only ones left.

"Grant you son of a bitch!"

"don't be like that killer... After all... I got a surprise for the lot of you... right around the corner!"

"What? what the hell are-" Suddenly the truck rammed into them, forcing them to crash.

***

The Recorder is undamaged, but nothing can clearly be heard other than muffled groaning, glass breaking, and screaming. It takes a few minutes before the recording could properly resume.

"Ugh... damn it." Dr. Wicked's vision was still faded but as he got his seat belt off, his vision cleared only for him to see Jack and Starla getting dragged away.

"Oh shit!" Kylie screamed as more hosts tried to grab them, Dr. Wicked then pulled out his pistol and shot several of them allowing Kylie and himself to escape. Dr. Wicked saw that Bill who also managed to escape, they covered one another as they got out of the area. Unfortunately, the host numbers were growing, and they had to leave while the hosts grabbed Starla and Jack. Bill and Dr. Wicked escorted Kylie into the woods where they were out of sight of the hosts and hopefully the worms too.

"Ah... God, damn it the worms beat us here."

"... Fuck, we need to get out of here as soon as possible."

"What? What about Starla and Jack?"

"Bill, look around you! They might as well be dead." Bill did as Dr. Wicked asked and sure enough he saw several dead bodies being dragged away by hosts. The entire town was quickly being deserted, leaving nothing but dead bodies and hosts. However, Bill's gaze fell onto the police station, and he quickly remembered the grenade he left.

"Doc, how much ammo you got?"

"Only one clip left, why?"

"I got a grenade back at the police station, right over there. I say you and me, get it. If we kill Grant this whole mess will end."

"...Ok, theoretically that could work but frankly we don't have the forces to get such an operation done. Sheriff Bill, for our safety and the safety of this civilian we need to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Doc, Starla is still out there and I'm not going to leave her. Leave if you want but I'm staying and I'm killing Grant! You wanna leave, then take Kylie with you and get the hell out of here."

"No. No way, Bill. Grant killed my family, if you're gonna kill him I wanna help." Bill and Kylie then looked at Dr. Wicked as he looked at both of them shocked then his expression changed to disappointed defeat.

"Ugh... fine, as a Foundation staff member I'm obligated to at least try to minimize casualties when I can. So, I will help."

"Heh, you make it sound like casualties happen all the time at your workplace." Dr. Wicked continued to look at Bill in disappointment. Soon Bill's smile turned to a look of regret when he realized his joke was actually right on the money.

"Uh. Sorry."

"No need to be sorry, like everyone else at the Foundation I've practically become numb to it." Dr. Wicked just made his statement so casually only to see the shock and fear in Bill's and Kylie's faces.

"*sigh* IN ANY CASE, let's just get the grenade and be done with this suicide mission shall we."

"Hey, come on Doc, don't call it like that."

"I call it what it is." Dr. Wicked just walked out onto the street and headed toward the police station while watching out for wandering hosts. Bill just sighed and followed him, telling Kylie to stay there in case they were to be ambushed. Thankfully it didn't take long before Bill and Dr. Wicked made it to the police station. Bill went right to the radio that Shelby operated and tried to call for local reinforcements. However, Dr. Wicked quickly shut down the radio.

"Wha-? Doc what are you doing?"

"Sheriff Bill, the purpose of our foundation is to maintain normalcy. We Secure, Contain, and Protect the Anomalous. Now we can't do any of that if more people know about what's going on."

"Wha- Doc, come on! we need to get some help here."

"Foundation reinforcements are already on their way, let them be the ones to handle this."

"Doc, no offense but your boys don't sound like they're doing well, I would rather-" Dr. Wicked then pulled out his pistol and aimed it right at Bill.

"Sheriff Bill, I have legal right to execute any civilian I deem a threat to the work of the Foundation, I don't want to kill you, but I will if I have to." Bill then raised his hands to show surrender but quickly grabbed onto Dr. Wicked's arms and got his pistol. Or at least that would have happened, instead Bill was having a lot of trouble actually overpowering Dr. Wicked. Dr. Wicked proved to be very strong and was looking at Bill unimpressed as he tried but failed to get the gun out of his hand. Dr. Wicked then just shocked off Bill's grip, Bill looked up at Dr. Wicked in fear and just made a piece sigh to show he surrendered.

"... ugh... hold on." Dr. Wicked then got out his radio and contacted Checkpoint 1.

"Hey, are you boys still alive or am I talking to Grant now?"

"Uh Grant? no Sir, this is Checkpoint 1. The slugs and hosts retreated and are going back into the Town. Where are you Sir?"

"I'm still in the town, look we think we have a way to stop the entity and in order to prevent this situation from getting worse were going forward with the plan now."

"What?! Sir the request to incinerate the town was denied but that doesn't make this plan of yours any less dangerous! Please just take the civilians and get out of there! Lambda-12 forces are on their way!"

"Then tell them to pick up the pace, cause one way or another this ends tonight. over and out." Dr. Wicked then cut off his radio and gave Bill a hand to get up.

"Thanks Doc, it does feel good to know you believe in me."

"I don't believe in you, in fact I'm sure you're either going to get eaten or get impregnated by Grant. Fucking Christ, I can't believe I just said that, ahem! However, I need to observe whatever I can of the entity, and I believe following you on your suicide plan might lead to the best results. And to comfort you please be aware that I will protect Kylie and get her out of here after Grant has killed you horribly."

"... Doc have your friends ever told you that your great at inspirational speeches because I really think-"

"Shut up and get the Grenade."

"Yup, on it." Bill then went for the weapon's locker and reached for the locker for Gernade after unlocking it. However, before he could actually grab it, he heard strange chewing noises. Bill looked to his left to see a host deer eating a corpse on the floor.

"Bill what the hell is taking so lo-!" Dr. Wicked then saw the host deer and at the same time it noticed the two of them and growled. Dr. Wicked then patted Bill on the shoulder as if to comfort him.

"You got this Sheriff."

"What?" Dr. Wicked then quickly ran off as the Deer quickly pounced on Bill and started biting him.

"Gah! God! Doc, help me!"

"Don't worry Bill, I'll tell Starla and Kylie you were brave!"

"Doc for fuck's sake get this god damn deer off of me!"

"Ugh, fine!" Dr. Wicked was about to get his pistol but knew better than to waste the ammo. Instead, Dr. Wicked got on the host deer and tried choking it while punching its face. The host deer was clearly getting hurt but its anger managed to cloud the pain and shock of Dr. Wicked. The host deer then walked over to Dr. Wicked and growled in anger.

"*sigh* this is what I get for trying to help someone." The host deer then pounced on Dr. Wicked and started biting into his chest. Dr. Wicked grunted in frustration while trying to get the deer off of him. Bill noticed as he got up that Dr. Wicked strangely didn't seem to be in actual pain, he was just angry the host deer was on him and was trying to get it off. Bill tried to help him, but the host deer sensed him and quickly used its hind legs to kick him in the stomach. Now Bill was in pain on the ground while Dr. Wicked was getting attacked by the host deer.

"Hey, mother fucker!" The host deer then looked up to see Kylie with a fire extinguisher, she quickly rammed it right into the host deer's face, smashing its head in and killing it instantly. Kylie then quickly helped Dr. Wicked and Bill up.

"Ah... thank you."

"We have to move, when one of them sees us they all do." Bill then quickly grabbed the grenade from the weapons locker and reloaded his pistol with new ammo.

"Ok, come on."

***

After managing to dodge several hosts and getting out of sight they managed to find an area to lay low. However, they quickly noticed that on the other side of a fence there were some survivors being killed by hosts with the bio acid and then getting dragged away.

"Kylie. Sweetheart, don't look."

"God, what are we gonna do if we can't kill Grant."

"Die horribly and get eaten."

"That's awfully negative."

"Well, it's been that kind of day. Doc can attest to that." Dr. Wicked looked at Bill for only a second before looking away back to the hosts.

"By the way, thanks for saving us from the deer. But for the record, when I tell that story it's gonna be me saving you." Kylie just scoffed while Dr. Wicked noticed the hosts who were dragging the last of the bodies.

"Hey, they're taking all the bodies in the exact same direction."

"Wait, I know where they're going, they're going to Grant's house. That must be where Starla's at."

"You really care for her huh?" Dr. Wicked and Bill then looked at Kylie.

"Grant could see it, it's why he hates you so much. He knows you two used to dream of going to Hollywood together when you were young. But you couldn't do it so neither could Starla. But even after you drifted apart, Grant could see the way you looked at her."

"... yeah... I abandoned her once I won't do it again, that's for god damn sure."

"Bill, as touching as that is, are we actually doing this because you really believe a grenade of all things will actually kill Grant or is this just a desperate attempt to save the woman you love because if it is-"

"Doc... look, I know you think I'm an idiot. But this son of a bitch parasite turned Grant into a monster that killed my friends and is fucking up my town. Of course, this is desperate, but it's all I got. I'm sorry Doc but I ain't gonna wait for your boys to get their asses over here. I'm ending this tonight or die trying. Besides, you said you'd protect Kylie and Starla if I died right?"

"... heh, alright then, Sheriff Bill. Let's go get this son of a bitch."

***

Though it too some time Dr. Wicked, Bill, and Kylie managed to get to the outskirts of Grant's house where several hosts were wandering around like guards. Dr. Wicked was making sure to observe as much as he could about their behavior.

"Look, that's where they gather the food for the Wombs." Kylie then pointed at the back door of the house where several hosts were dragging the dead bodies into.

"Wombs?"

"The people Grant gets pregnant to make more worms."

"Shit so the cycle is already starting. If we're going to do this, we need to hurry."

"What the hell... is that?" Bill pointed out another door where a large amount of flesh was practically leaking out.

"That's how Grant eats, while most of the worms go out finding more meat, others get absorbed into Grant to make him stronger." Just then a fat man walked up to the flesh blob, got naked, and started sinking into the flesh as it started fusing its flesh with his.

"Now that... is some fucked up shit... let me guess doc you've seen worse?" Bill then looked back to Dr. Wicked only to be quite shocked to see that he was actually close to throwing up.

"... no... this is about as bad as it gets." Bill almost laughed at the sight but then he saw Starla inside.

"there's Starla! She's alive! I'm going in."

"What, that's it? You're just going in? you're not going to come up with a plan first?"

"I got a plan, Kill Grant and save Starla." Bill then ran ahead leaving Dr. Wicked and Kylie alone there.

"... We could just leave him and wait for Foundation reinforcements." Kylie looked at Dr. Wicked in disappointment and held her hand out. Dr. Wicked knew what this meant, he groaned and gave her a spare gun he found at the police station. Dr. Wicked and Kylie closely followed Bill but almost immediately was separated from him due to wandering host guards. Then the both of them heard gunshots indicating that Bill was under attack. Kylie was about to run to help but was grabbed by a host, thankfully her quick reflexes allowed her to shoot the host before it could spit on her.

Dr. Wicked sighed as he pushed Kylie forward to catch up with Bill while he covered her by shooting any host trying to ambush them. Finally, then managed to catch up to Grant at the front of the house and quickly entered. However, upon entering the house Bill was stopped by a mutated Jack.

"Kill me! please for the love of God, kill me!"

"Oh, stop being such a baby!" Dr. Wicked then grabbed out another vial, a similar one he used on the dead MTF earlier and injected it into Jack. Suddenly he started feeling better and the large growth on his neck started shrinking.

"Ah! so, it works on Wombs, that's good to know."

"Doc what the hell was that?"

"An experimental drug that's meant to reverse the effects of extreme biological mutation."

"Why didn't you use that on my friends?"

"I tried but it didn't work. I guess, I guess parasites are immune to the medicine. Anyways Jack you might feel some side effects such as headaches, rashes, flaky skin-" Jack then barfed on Dr. Wicked's face a large amount of white substance.

"... Nausea, but besides that you should be ok." As Dr. Wicked wiped his face, the four of them heard Starla screaming. Bill was the first to run toward the noise with Kylie following him, Dr Wicked was about to follow but Jack stopped him.

"Hey, didn't your boys earlier say that they were gonna blow up the town? Let's just get out of here!"

"Now someone agrees with me? Look Jack, the house is surrounded by hosts so if you wanna leave I'm not going to stop you but don't be surprised if you get a face full of acid." Dr. Wicked then ran after Bill and Kylie, Jack grunted and decided to follow as well. The four of them then showed up to the living room of the house to see a heavily mutated Grant. With several hosts infused with his biomass.

"Dear god!"

"Yup, this is definitely as bad as it gets." Bill then noticed that Grant was using one of his large tentacles to strangle Starla. In response he raised the grenade to show Grant he meant business.

"Alright Grant let her go!"

"What the- Bill! Just throw the Grenade!"

"Don't worry Doc I got this-" Then one of Grant's tentacles slapped the Grenade out Bill's hand. The Grenade landed behind a couch and unfortunately the pin was already pulled.

"Shit!" Bill then went right after the Grenade.

"Goddamn it, help me cover him!" Kylie and Dr. Wicked started shooting at Grant in hopes it would stall for time so that Bill could get the grenade before it explodes. However, it wasn't long before the both of them ran out of ammo. Grant then slapped Dr. Wicked into a wall; Starla tried to get away but was slashed on the face by Grant's tentacles. Grant was about to slash Kylie in two, but Jack pushed her out of the way and got slashed himself.

"Oh, goddamn it! I just saved him!"

"Hey I got it!" Bill got the Grenade and Grant saw this, so he tried to slash him with his tentacle. Dr. Wicked saw this and tried to save Bill by jumping in the way hoping that Bill would use that last second to throw the Grenade. However, Grant proved to be too fast and slapped them both through the window and out of the house. Bill ended up losing the Grenade again and it went off right inside the pool. Dr. Wicked and Bill looked at each other with Bill looking defeated and Dr. Wicked having disappointment written all over his face.

"Nice plan there, Sheriff."

"As if you had any better ideas."

"I wanted to wait for help! But no! Let's jump in and fight against the psychotic obsessive asshole of a husband that was possessed by a planet conquering parasite! I mean seriously how could this possibly get any worse!" As if on cue, Bill and Dr. Wicked heard the groans of hundreds of hosts surrounding the house. Then to make matters worse Grant unleashed his womb tentacles and one stabbed Bill in the stomach. Before the other one could stab him, Bill managed to catch it in time. Dr. Wicked quickly helped him pull it away, Dr. Wicked even started grunting in frustration as he tried to tear the tentacle apart. Bill then noticed the propane tank next to Dr. Wicked.

"Doc! The tank!" Dr. Wicked looked at Bill confused, then looked to where Bill was pointing and saw the propane tank.

"The gas! Fill Grant with the gas!" Dr. Wicked then did as Bill asked and forced the tentacle toward the tank and stabbed it into the opening releasing the gas. Dr. Wicked then set the propane tank on full release, it was now pumping gas into Grant. Dr. Wicked tried to grab the tentacle stabbing bill and find a place to stab it into the propane tank as well. However, Grant quickly started retracting the tentacles which dragged them both back into the house.

"Starla shoot!" Dr. Wicked then noticed that Starla was holding Bill's pistol, the one he dropped after Grant slapped away the Grenade. Dr. Wicked realized they were dangerously close to the explosion and quickly shielded Bill from the incoming explosion. Then, after a second of hesitation, Starla shot Grant and the gas in his body ignited causing him to explode and all the hosts and infected wombs to die. Just like that, it was over, the nightmare was finally over, and the only ones left alive were Starla, Kylie, Bill, and Dr. Wicked. Dr. Wicked had flames on his back because of the explosion but he quickly rolled away from Bill and landed on his back, extinguishing the flames instantly.

"Ugh... Nice plan there, Sheriff."

"Haha... told you it would work."

"Bill, are you ok?" Starla then ran over to Bill to help him up and get the tentacle out of him.

"That depends on whether or not this tentacle did its job."

"Both have to be in, Grant needs to stab you with both tentacles or else it won't work."

"Well Hala-fucking-luya!" Kylie then helped Dr. Wicked up and Starla helped Bill up and they all got out of the house only to see it surrounded by dead bodies.

"... I was kinda hoping they would all be ok after we killed Grant."

"We can't save everyone; you'll get used to it."

"We’ll get used to it? what do you mean by that?"

"Well, thanks to the protocol I made. I have the pleasure to ask you three an important question. You have all witnessed firsthand an anomalous attack and have contributed to its destruction, Normally the Foundation prefers containment but none-the-less a win is a win. Now under Foundation protocol you will be given two options. First you can get your memories wiped by Foundation Amnestic and live completely normal lives in new towns with new families without ever knowing any of this happened in the first place. Or you can take the second choice where you join the Foundation and help us fight and contain anomalous threats like this one. I know it's a big choice but at the Foundation we need people like you to help us combat these threats or at the very least to forget we ever existed. But for now, it's entirely your choice." Bill, Starla, and Kylie looked at each other unsure of what to do since both options were so drastic.

"So, you're saying we can either keep fighting stuff out our nightmares for the government or forget all this shit happened and let the government get away with it regardless."

"Well technically we are above the government. Look, I know this stuff is insane but it's thanks to you three that this anomaly didn't spread further. I'm not saying it will always be this easy but frankly the Foundation is the best chance humanity has to maintain its normalcy. Without the Foundation, there would be chaos, destruction, and death everywhere. But not everyone would want to know that so again if you think you can't handle it then just follow me and we'll get your memories wiped and relocated."

"What if we say no to both?"

"... Then we'll choose for you. I know it's harsh, but I don't make the rules. I only write proposals and hope they get approved. kinda like the proposal I made that allows me to even ask this question... normally the Foundation would just erase all your memories forcefully and get it over with." Again, Bill looked back at Kylie and Starla, Starla looked back at the house that she and Grant lived in. Starla was still depressed over it, but she knew she'd rather die than forget what happened here; Starla nodded at Bill. Kylie had already lost her family and it really weighed on her heart, but she would be lying if this whole experience was an adrenaline rush. Besides, if she could help the Foundation improve and prevent this from happening to anyone else, she was all for it, so she nodded as well. Bill was actually surprised to see the two of them agree to it but he just sighed and looked at Dr. Wicked with a smile of determination.

"We're in."

"Heh, then let's head over to Checkpoint 1 and get debriefed, a research and cleanup team will be deployed afterwards to take care of this mess." Bill almost stumbled so Dr. Wicked quickly helped him up while the four of them walked toward Checkpoint 1.

"Oh! Kylie, why don't you tell Starla how I saved you from that deer?"

"Oh yeah... Bill saved me from a deer... that's the story."

"What? That's not true, the host deer nearly killed Bill and I. Kylie was the one who saved us."

"What the- Doc!"

"What? that's the truth."

"Ugh, for fucks sake."

"What?! Bill for crying out loud, what did I say?" Starla and Kyle started laughing while Bill walked forward in anger, Dr. Wicked just sighed as he was regretting not just amnesticing them all.

End Log

End Note: Though the subjugation of SCP-AAA was a success Dr. Wicked was still reprimanded for his rash decisions, and thus was punished with exposure to SCP-682 for about a week. Afterwards he was given back his level 5 Clearance and class F status.

Bill was processed into Foundation security and works alongside Dr. Wicked as a bodyguard. Because he was assigned to Dr. Wicked, he was given the same training as MTF Alpha-1. It’s been reported that Dr. Wicked was watching and laughing at Bill as he was training.

Starla originally had undergone training as a field researcher. However, upon learning about the Fire Suppression Department she became a researcher there. She hopes to one day work her way up to the Ethics committee. After seven months of service, she and Bill got married. She requested Dr. Wicked to marry them off and under order of the Ethics Committee, he begrudgingly obliged.

Kylie has only recently completed her training as a field researcher, thanks to her exposure to SCP-AAA her mind has expanded allowing her to recall and absorb more knowledge than the average human. As such, she has been given F class status the same as Dr. Wicked. She works as a trustworthy and hardworking field researcher and thanks to her improved combat experience she works especially well in missions alongside MTF.

The proposal that was referred to in Addendum X-1 was created by Dr. Wicked and called "Sole Survivor” which states: "should a civilian survive an encounter with an anomalous entity and assist the Foundation in its containment or destruction. That civilian should be given the choice to either be Amnestied with a new life or to put their luck, talent, and services to assisting the Foundation." Through heavy debate by the O5 council and Ethics committee, the proposal was eventually approved and made an official Foundation protocol.

Go back to File: Slither

SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub

#DZtheNerd #SCP: Horror Movie Files #scp fanfiction #scp au #scp mtf #Slither #james gunn #Addendum #Dr. Wicked #SCP-AAA

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r4spb3rry-t4rt · 10 months ago

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Sorry if you don't know RvB OP but I need to talk about this before I explode

This is Felix and Locus for real

The war changed them for the worse. They were both battered, bruised, and broken. Yet, they stuck together to make the best duo despite the resent and annoyance they displayed. They butted heads but they needed each other to survive. After the war they tried to hang onto another partner. But it wasn't the same. Neither of them were able to connect with Mason like they did each other, even though Mason showed them far more patience and care

But, as was stated by Santa, Felix's greatest fear is Locus. Locus is the phone and Felix is the charger. Locus could have found another partner. He could have had a healthier partnership with someone who didn't continually break him down into a hollow shell of a man. There were times when Felix brought up topics or said certain things that he knew would get under Locus's skin. Felix knew he could keep Locus on track -- and passively follow along with Felix's plans and strategies -- just by saying things that would actively trigger Locus

Honestly I think this is why Locus was so fascinated by Wash. Wash could have been Locus's new charger. Problem is, Wash wasn't a charger. He grew after PFL. Now he wasn't someone else's accessory anymore, not even Carolina's. He had taken the time to grow into his own person -- into his own phone. I think this is what caught Locus's attention the most. He had gone through Wash's old records from PFL, and back then he was the runt of the litter, so to speak. Wash wasn't at the top of the tier list. He wasn't the best freelancer. He was good enough to *be* a freelancer, sure, but he was continually underestimated by the rest of his crew. I'm sure this showed in his old reports too. Yet, here he was in a one on one standoff with Locus, and he didn't fumble. Not then, not in the war of Chorus v. Space pirates, and especially not in the 2 v. 2 next to the Tower of Extinction. Wash was caught off guard a few times, but he never slipped up. During their final showdown Locus and Felix needed each other in order to have a chance against the two freelancers, but Wash and Carolina both pulled their own weight in order to fend off the mercs

Locus could have tried to replaced Felix at any time. But, after the war, Felix relished in the fact that he was the bent charger to Locus's broken and corroded charging port. There was no way that Locus could have actually found another charger because none of them would have worked. No, Locus was stuck with Felix. It wasn't until after Felix -- the only charger that could work for Locus -- died that Locus realized that he needed to fix his charging port

Once he realized that he wasn't the accessory to Felix, but rather the other way around, he realized that he wasn't stuck with the damage that the war caused and Felix shamelessly perpetuated. Post Chorus he was determined to fix the damage he had done, even if there wasn't really a way to make amends other than leaving Chorus behind. Locus fixed his port. Locus changed so he wouldn't need a charger like Felix any longer

I'm proud of the growth that Locus was able to achieve. He fixed himself for the better, and that's all I genuinely wanted for him after seeing the way he was hurting

i love finding poetry in the mundane, and yesterday i stumbled upon something that just hits that spot

So, my partner has an old phone- It served them for many years now, but it has one issue: Charging it is hard. Their current charger is hanging on by a thread (literally), and can barely do its job. The phone and the charger came together: They've never used another charger for said phone.

Now, they've tried to replace the charging cord several times. But it doesn't matter how much they've searched what damned specific charger the phone uses, none of them work. They finally decided to bring it to a phone shop and ask what should they use.

The guy at the shop looked at the phone for a bit, and explained: "The port itself is broken. The charger you have works with this phone because they've mutually broken each other into the same shape, in a way that no other charger is shaped. The port itself has corroded in a way that only accepts the charger that shaped it like that in the first place."

And while this is of course a frustrating situation for my partner, I feel like there's a metaphor here. I could write a goddamn story about this. These two half-broken old things have been together for so long they've destroyed each other in a way that keeps them from working with anything else. They've hurt each other in a way that barely keeps them functioning together, and have been rendered useless with literally anything else.

This too is toxic yuri to me-

#im sorry this character analysis got so long #im very passionate about the mercs #ive hurt like Locus and ive unfortunately hurt people like Felix before #they mean a lot to me as characters #and im glad that Locus was able to heal after he had been so abused #thank you for coming to my ted talk #rvb #red vs blue #rvb felix #rvb locus #character analysis #r4spb3rry rambles

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dertaglichedan · 4 months ago

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https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4809725-kamala-harris-campaign-gop-initiative-prominent-republican-voices/

Vice President Harris’s campaign launched “Republicans for Harris” with more than 25 GOP endorsements, including former secretaries Chuck Hagel and Ray LaHood, as well as former GOP governors and lawmakers.

The campaign announced Sunday that Trump-era White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye, ex-national security adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence, also endorsed Harris.

Hagel, a Republican senator from Nebraska and Defense secretary, and LaHood, a GOP congressman from Illinois and Transportation secretary, both served under former President Obama.

Additionally, former Reps. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) and Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.) put their support behind Harris in November, along with Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who had endorsed President Biden when he was still at the top of the ticket. The vice president replaced Biden after the incumbent stepped aside last month following a disastrous debate performance and multiple calls from Democrats to drop out of the race.

“I encourage other Trump administration officials who saw the tyrant we worked for in office to speak out and stand with Kamala Harris this November to keep integrity in the White House and ensure democracy for our country,” Grisham said in a statement.

Troye added, “The stakes are too high to let partisanship jeopardize our freedoms and the Constitution.”

Republicans for Harris will focus on activating GOP voices “to speak to their friends and family about the importance of voting for the Vice President,” according to the campaign, which described the group as a “campaign within a campaign.” The group will have kickoff events Monday in battleground states Arizona, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Other endorsements came from former GOP Govs. Bill Weld (Mass.), Christine Todd Whitman (N.J.) and Jim Edgar (Ill.), the campaign announced Sunday. It also highlighted that former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) endorsed Harris after backing Biden.

“Donald Trump’s MAGA extremism is toxic to the millions of Republicans who no longer believe the party of Donald Trump represents their values and will vote against him again in November,” Austin Weatherford, Harris’s national director for Republican outreach, said in a statement.

He added, “Donald Trump said he doesn’t want these voters, but Vice President Harris and our campaign are working overtime to earn the support of my fellow Republicans who care about defending democracy and restoring decency — all of which would be torn away in a second Trump presidency.”

Others who backed Harris include former GOP Reps. Alan Steelman (Texas), Claudine Schneider (R.I.), David Emery (Maine), David Trott (Mich.), Jack Quinn (N.Y.), Jim Greenwood (Pa.), John LeBoutillier (N.Y.), Tom Coleman (Mo.), Rod Chandler (Wash.), Peter Smith (Vt.) and Wayne Gilchrest (Md.).

*** Remember these RINOS

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tvckerwash · 10 months ago

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You ever think about how Carolina's fighting style isn't military AT ALL. Like, it's closer to Martial Arts than the military style of fighting. And how she primarily fights 1v1. When with RvB's, she acts more as a strategist , while Wash, the one who we know was in the military, acts like the leader (training them, comforting them, guiding them). Sorry, it just occurred to me that Carolina's style is more solo focused while Wash is more Support based and I thought that was Neat.

I was actually just thinking about this somewhat the other day! I have a lot of thoughts about wash and carolina, but in regards to their combat/leading styles wash is someone who is aware of his limitations as an individual, and he's okay with those limitations because he knows he has people around him who can support him in the areas he's lacking, and vice-versa. carolina on the other hand expects herself to be able to do everything on her own, and while she can work in a team she will abandon them or force them to step back because she can end up seeing them as hindrances that need to be protected, not as assets who can assist her.

I see their relationship in pfl as carolina being a newly graduated co and wash being her senior nco—carolina outranks wash via the chain of command, but wash has been boots on the ground longer so he has more first person experience and practical know how. wash is also just better at managing people than carolina is, and he accounts for that human variable in whatever plans carolina makes that she herself often doesn't. people aren't perfect, mistakes and slip ups happen, and morale plays a very big part in how the team functions.

their dynamic is so strained in present day s10 because carolina is angry, jaded, and so laser focused on her goal of finding and killing the director that she refused to open up and talk with wash and the bgc like people in spite of wash trying so hard to get her to do so. wash doesn't respect and refuses to follow a leader who sees the lives of the people under their command as worthless and disposable, and the bgc never wanted to go on that mission in the first place, but they did so for their friend who turned on them. if they're disposable to you, then you are equally as disposable to them, and if you turn your back on them, they'll turn their backs on you.

#asks #text #rvb #red vs blue #agent washington #agent carolina #q

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paisley-print · 4 years ago

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Near The Water’s Edge: Chapter One

After fleeing your abusive husband, you find yourself in the small coastal town of July, North Carolina. Soon you meet Frankie Morales, Air Force Veteran and single dad. As the two of you grow closer, you begin to let go of your past and learn to love again. That is until a strange man shows up in town, and you 're forced to choose between your safety or the safety of the people that you love.

Inspired by the novel “Safe Haven” written by Nicolas Sparks.

Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Rating: 18+ / Heavy adult themes eventual smut.

Trigger Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Drowning, Dark Water.

Word Count: 1744

Note: I tagged everyone who liked the original posts. To stay on the permanent list please either send me a message or write it on the post. Enjoy <3

Series Master List

Chapter One

Aggressively American, that was the only fitting description of the place you found yourself in. July was a coastal town located in the southern part of North Carolina. It was pronounced like ‘Julie’ but nobody ever called it that. It had been the farthest place your two hundred dollars in cash could take you; and as the greyhound pulled away, you wondered if you should have chosen Nebraska instead.

It wasn’t that the town was dirty, quite the opposite actually...it just felt manufactured. Too perfect to be real. The streets were named things like Liberty and Independence. The shop fronts were brick and all along the main street there were American flags and flower pots holding red, white and blue geraniums.

The name Norman Rockwell came to mind.

As you walked along the main street, you surveyed the many shopfronts. To a passerby it seemed as though you were looking to buy something - in your mind, however, your thoughts were racing.

‘I made a mistake, I know I did.’ You analyzed the last few hours, replaying the memories over and over again as if on VHS; scrutinizing every last detail. ‘He would track me down, find me - by morning. Should I go back? No- it was too late for that.’

It was still early in the afternoon, but finding a place to sleep tonight was paramount. The trip had taken eleven hours straight through. Only ever stopping to change buses and refuel - you were exhausted and your muscles ached.

‘Food,’ you thought ‘I should eat…’

But did you have enough? Depending on how much a motel cost around here, you figured you would only have enough to cover a room for one night. So food would have to wait.

As you rounded a corner, you were met with the sight of the bay. It wasn’t anything like the brown water in New Jersey, the water here was a deep green. The boats created little swells along the surface, and the sun’s glint off the peaks made it look like the water was filled with emeralds.

On the left side of the street stood a marina and dockside restaurant. The smell of food made your stomach grumble. On the right side was a series of Victorian style houses, stone pillars and large porches dominated the structures.

A sign in front of one had caught your attention: American Dreams B&B.

‘Jesus’ you thought ‘they’re really leaning into this whole aesthetic aren’t they?’

A bell on the front door chimed as you entered. The decor of the place looked dated; as if it hadn’t been touched since the 80s. Lots of wood tones and floral patterns. You didn’t mind it though…. it made you feel at home.

An older woman was sitting at the front desk watching a soap opera on a little TV perched on the counter. She looked up and smiled as you approached.

“Hello there. How can I help you today?”

“Do you have any rooms open?”

“Sure do, we have three vacancies right now.”

Relief washed over you, “what’s the nightly rate for the smallest?”

“That would be the pink room at $175 a night.”

More than you had anticipated…. “All take it, thank you.”

The woman turned to the computer. The monitor was old and heavy- it looked bigger than the TV. “Driver’s license?”

You hadn’t even thought of that… “I don’t have one, would a birth certificate work?”

You cringed at the sound of it. Who carries around a birth certificate as identification? It was all you had, so you gave it to her, however you knew that the odd request made you stick out in the woman’s mind. Surely she would remember you if someone came asking…

The woman hesitated but took the certificate, reading it out loud “Summer Emma Sparks.”

You swallowed hard and shifted on your feet, feeling sick. The circumstances surrounding how you secured the certificate flooding your mind...

‘I needed it,’ you remind yourself.

The woman, whose name you found out to be Mae, handed you a key and sent you on your way. Now the plan would be to look for a job, something that worked off of tips. Having as much cash available to take with you at a moment’s notice was important. First, though, you would sleep.

And as the tide lapped against the boat dock across the street, you slipped into the darkest, soundest slumber you had in years. You were safe for the time being.

There was something to be said about the little joys surrounding small town life. In New Jersey neighbors barely knew each other, and would even go so far as to avert their eyes or turn their backs when passing them on the street. Here though, people were kind.

Too kind sometimes, always pressing you with questions...you couldn’t fault them for it though. If you were here under normal circumstances, you would have welcomed such friendly chatter. It almost pained you to be so dismissive, but you needed to be, for your safety and theirs. The less anybody knows about you, the better.

You set down a tray of empty cups and looked at the clock on the wall, debating whether to take another table. Even though your shift technically didn’t end for another twenty minutes, most of the night servers were already here and the day had been long.

You managed to get a job at the restaurant next to the marina on your second day in town. The owner suggested you start the following weekend, but you persuaded him to let you train that day just so you could get the free meal that they provided with every shift. The tips weren’t enough to buy a hotel room though, and so you had to sleep on the beach that night.

Thankfully, the tips for the last few days had been good, allowing you to buy a week in the bed-and-breakfast. Most of the servers at the restaurant were teenagers who could only work the evenings, allowing you to take as many morning and afternoon shifts as you wanted. Sometimes there would be another server with you, but most days you were alone. You didn’t mind one bit, the dining room was small and easy for you to handle by yourself.

You had your eye on a few rental properties on the far side of town. A mobile home community offering one bedroom complexes for dirt cheap prices. You were suspicious at first, but after taking a walk through the neighborhood you realized most of the people who lived there were snowbirds or weekend warriors.

Those residents who did live their full time seemed like you, friendly people who had fallen on bad times. They weren’t the confederate flag wielding, dip spitting, rednecks you first thought they would be; and for that you were thankful.

“Summer….. Summer.”

You turned suddenly, remembering that was your name. “Yeah?”

Your boss was holding two containers of soup “do me a favor and put these in the fridge before you go?”

“Of course,” you said, allowing him to pass the containers off to you.

The fridge was a separate unit out back; it looked like a little shed. From where you were, you could see a full view of the marina. It was set a little farther back than the restaurant. To the left, lines of boats bobbed up and down with the tide. There was a parking lot next to that, then at the very end was a house... or what you assumed was a house.

Elevated about six feet on stilts and spanning two stories high. It wasn’t anything like the grand Victorians that stood opposite of it. It was unassuming, modern and clean. Your eyes fixed on movement off to the side. Below the house to the right, you noticed a little girl. She had to be no more than three years of age, reaching for something over the bulkhead. A feeling of dread clutched at your stomach.

‘She’s going to fall’ you thought suddenly.

Both containers of soup hit the ground and exploded - painting the side of the building. You didn’t even notice as you sprinted down the shelled driveway towards the house. The splash came as soon as you threw open the gate and without even a moment of hesitation; you jumped into the water.

It was freezing, like little needles pricking your skin from all sides. The salt water stung your eyes like something wicked, but you forced yourself to keep them open. You scanned what was around you, murky green darkness and foliage that reached up from the sand like the tendrils of a kraken. Threatening to grab you and pull you down into its watery depths.

Your eyes landed on a flash of pink below. With all of your strength you pushed yourself forward, hooking an arm around the girl and bringing you both to the surface. Just as you broke through the world above, you saw a man skid to a stop and reach for the girl in your arms.

You gasped, and the little girl coughed and hiccuped... then started to cry. It was music to your ears; it meant that she was breathing. You held the girl up as far as possible; the man took her and moved away from the bulkhead.

“Make sure she’s okay,” you choked, the water assaulting your senses. You tread for a moment longer before the man reappeared and offered you his hand. You took it and he pulled you from the water easily.

Bracing yourself on the bulkhead you brought your weight over the rest of the way. The man immediately turned his attention back to the little girl, bringing her to his chest and clutching her as she wailed.

You blinked, hands coming up to rub the salt from your eyes, the world coming back into focus. The man was older, wearing a navy blue baseball cap and a grey flannel.

His brown eyes still held a spark of panic in them as he looked at you. “I don’t know how I could ever thank you enough….she was right there, then I turned around and….” He held onto her a little tighter and sighed, closing his eyes. The little girl was settling into a mess of sniffles and whimpers. “Don’t ever do that again, baby,” he breathed.

Tag List For This Chapter Only:

@heythere-mel @aquilacorvinal @krystlebee @pedro-pascal1503 @giizhkens-cedar @luckystrikesalterego @rayofhalsey @almost-golden-again @myheart-pedro @the-cosmic-ghost-18 @sewmanystitchssewlittletime @wwwbackslashcreedthoughts @anabundanceofmeg @petermj213

Permanent Tag List:

@hnt-escape

#pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfic #triple frontier #Frankie fanfiction #frankie morales #Frankie Morales fanfic #Frankie Morales fanfiction #pedro fanfic #pedro fanfiction #nearthewater'sedge #frankie has a daughter #its basically canon at this point #so I stuck with it

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prvtbugsbuggins · 3 years ago

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10 - Purple Heart [2/3]

for @whumptober2021

Chapter link -> HERE

Trigger warning for: Comas, long hospital stays, hospitals in general.

Prompt: Hospital

Summary: Caboose may have survived a serious injury, but still has yet to wake up.

----

Carolina’s world was numb as she watched the orderlies fight with Tucker over Caboose. Caboose was still, not breathing, but Tucker didn’t want to let him go. It took Simmons and Grif to hold him back and let the hospital workers do their job, taking Caboose away on a stretcher and rushing him into the hospital. Epsilon hitched a ride in the suit of one of the retreating nurses, promising that he’ll do all he could to help. Simmons stumbled out of the pelican to sit on the ground, radioing everyone else to tell them the news.

Tucker was still sobbing. “He’s dead…” He moaned, going limp in despair. “I can’t...I…”

Grif grabbed Tucker firmly by the shoulders and shook him. “He’s NOT dead! Get a hold of yourself!”

“Fuck you, lardass! You saw him! He wasn’t fucking breathing!”

“ He’ll be okay . The last thing any of us need, is you freaking the fuck out and keeping the medics from doing their jobs.” Tucker seemed too stunned to reply, staring off into the distance as he tried to get his breathing under control again. “Caboose is unkillable, I’m telling you. He’ll be fine.”

Carolina didn’t know what to say about that. She knew where hope got her before, it was better to be realistic. What she wasn’t prepared for, was to see Wash running up to the helipad, and stopping to look inside. There was enough blood to paint a room red, and Wash could put context clues together when he saw that Caboose wasn’t there.

“What happened?” He asked, voice hushed and fearful.

And once again, Carolina had to break his heart.

-----

The waiting room was so crowded there weren't enough chairs to sit. Some stood, like Wash and Carolina, some took up whatever space they could on the floor, and others huddled together, talking in quiet whispers. It was mostly the Reds, Blues, and Caboose’s squad taking up all the space. Many other people tried to come in to wait as well, but had to be turned away due to the lack of room. If there’s anything that could be said about Caboose, it’s that he’s well loved. Loved enough that someone was streaming up to date news from somewhere in the hospital, as the city waited to see if one of their Heroes would live or die.

Andersmith especially was taking things hard, sitting in the corner with his other squad-mates, sniffling tears and hugging each other. Most of the room’s occupants were sporting bandages on their arms, reminders from when Dr. Grey ran in and asked for blood donors. Most everyone volunteered, but only a couple were matches, but it was enough for Grey to be happy about the volume she managed to get.

She vanished back into surgery, promising to give an update when she could. It’s been hours already, and Carolina doubted they’d hear anything other than ‘sit and wait’. Eventually it got late enough that most everyone was kicked out, leaving only the Reds and Blues. Grey knew she couldn’t kick them out, because they would fight her on that, so she was forced to let them stay and hog up the waiting room.

Everyone was starting to get anxious the longer the time dragged on, finally being broken when Grey strolled in through the doors, still splattered with blood.

“Hello everyone!” She said, grabbing everyone’s immediate attention. “I have some good news, and some bad news. I’ll tell you the good news first, Captain Caboose is alive.”

Tucker opened and closed his mouth, struggling for a moment to string together a sentence. “How? He wasn't breathing! He probably lost all his blood! How could he still be alive after all that?” In the background, Grif muttered a quick ‘told you so’, before being slapped on the back of the head by Sarge.

“I can answer that.” Epsilon, the smug little bastard, projected himself out of Grey’s suit. “Did you know just how much extra shit was crammed into this guy? Dude had augmented lungs and a heart. He literally could go without oxygen for a stupid amount of time and survive. Still got all kinds of fucked up, but ten bullet holes, a punctured lung, and massive blood loss wasn’t enough to outright kill him, apparently.”

The room was dead silent to let that sink in. Grif however, was basking in the fact that he was right, for once. Carolina took a breath to ask the question everyone was thinking. “How?”

“Caboose is a Spartan.” Wash murmured from his place at the wall, staring off into the darkened windows in the waiting room. “That’s how.”

“No way, no way that someone as dumb as Caboose can be a fucking Spartan.” Simmons pointed out. “He drank gasoline for a year! He believes in sock stealing gnomes!”

“Do you know any other seven foot tall men who are built like a brick house and can flip a tank over with their bare hands?” Wash raised an eyebrow. “Not to mention, seventeen sisters?”

Simmons promptly shut the hell up.

“It’s true,” Donut piped up from his seat. “I’ve seen his scars. Those aren’t normal. Sometimes he’ll talk a little about his ‘school’ and I just...kinda put things together.”

“Same with me,” Wash agreed. “I’m surprised you didn’t figure it out, Tucker. He was getting medication for his scars from you.”

“Look, everyone has scars. I wasn’t about to ask him about it! Command just sent them over and I gave it to him, that’s all.”

“Hot damn, Blue team had a Spartan this entire time, and still got their asses kicked by ours truly? Red team supremacy once again shows its prowess in the face of impossible odds!”

“Shut up Sarge, not helping!”

“So,” Carolina raised her voice a little to stop the bickering before it could start. “Caboose had augmentations that let him survive being ventilated with bullets. What’s the bad news?”

“Well, it seems that he slipped into a teensy, weensy, little coma.” Grey could only shrug. “He’s still not out of the woods yet, but if he survives the night, he has a higher chance to wake up again. There’s nothing else we can do but leave the rest up to him.”

“Caboose will pull through, we promised him a party and even with someone with memory problems, he’s not going to forget that.” Tucker couldn’t help but snicker a little. “He’s not going to want to leave his ‘best friends’ behind anytime soon.”

“Ooo a party! Looks like it’s time for me to bust out my planner!” Donut seemed excited, already deciding that his friend was going to be okay. “I’ll plan it all out, no worries, a party for just us! If anyone else shows up, we’ll just have to beat them off!”

The room groaned.

“Now then.” Grey clapped her hands together to draw attention back to her. “Now that he’s stabilized, I can allow a few visitors. Only one at a time! He needs his rest after all! Who’s first?”

Wash jumped up before anyone could say anything. “Me.”

“And me!” Epsilon looked at the surprised faces In the waiting room. “What? I’m going to monitor the medical equipment in his room. I kinda need to be there so nobody fucks it up.”

“Sure Church, just to monitor things. Yeah.”

“Shut the fuck up Tucker! It’s not like that!”

“Bold of you to say that to a person who saw what you did on that flight back.”

Epsilon’s avatar sputtered in anger, voice overlaid with static as he looked to Washington. “Please, for the love of god, grab my chip before I jump in his suit, armor lock it, and turn off his air.”

Wash sighed.

Caboose laid there, still and pale among a mess of IVs, wires, and beeping machines. A heated blanket was pulled up to just under his arms, hiding most of his bandages from view. A few traces of white criss-crossed just under the collar of his hospital gown, letting one know the full extent of his injuries. An Intubation tube was put in, his chest rising and falling with each press of the ventilator next to him. His eyes were closed and bruised, and if it wasn’t for the machines and paleness, he would have looked like he was just sleeping. It was unreal to see such a large man look so small, dwarfed by the medical equipment surrounding him.

Wash swallowed the lump in his throat at the sight.

On the table next to the bed, was Caboose’s helmet and Freckles, already cleaned. Figuring that was as good of a spot as any, Wash inserted the Epsilon chip in the helmet. The visor flashed on for a brief moment, before the small avatar manifested itself once again. Epsilon gave Wash a nod, and leapt into the bulk of the machinery around the bed, integrating himself fully. He wouldn’t admit it, but Wash felt a little better that someone would be here to watch Caboose at all times, even after everyone else would get kicked out after visiting hours.

He pulled up a chair and took the hand of the arm with the least amount of inserted tubes, and held it. Caboose always liked friendly touching, often wanting to hold hands or sit leaning on someone. The latter wasn’t always possible, due to his size, but everyone on both teams have held his hand here and there. It always made the man smile, beaming like a sun beam in pure, innocent delight.

He used a thumb to trace the back of the downed soldier's hand, hoping that he could feel the soft touch wherever his mind was currently at. He glanced at the clock, It was barely 1am...Caboose would need to stay alive for the next six hours to have the best chance of survival. He couldn’t be here the entire time, most everyone else would want a turn to say hello. He might as well get his done with before he got forcibly dragged out of the room.

He pulled up the file manager in his HUD, scrolling through a folder marked [For Caboose]. He selected a PDF that has hasn't opened in quite a while and brought it up to his HUD. He looked over the words within, and while still holding the limp hand in his, began to read aloud.

“ One day in summer Frog was not feeling well.

Toad said, ‘”Frog, you are looking quite green.”

“ But I always look green,” said Frog. “I am a frog.”

"Today you look very green even for a frog,” said Toad…”

-----

Against the odds, Caboose made it through the night, much to everyone’s relief.

He still wasn’t waking up, however, nor showed any signs of life besides the beeping of his heart monitor. Grey had told them that he just needed his rest and that eventually he’ll wake up. They just need to be patient and wait.

Half the team wouldn’t know what patience was even if it bit them on the ass. It wasn't a rare occurrence for Carolina to pass by the room, only to hear the visitor inside quietly plead for Caboose to wake up. No amount of pleas were going to do anything, but Carolina understood the thoughts behind it. Tucker especially was the most distraught, Caboose and himself were the only ones of the original Blue Team left. He spent as much time as he could in the room before being forcibly removed, and even then would mostly be found asleep sitting up in the waiting room.

The hospital room looked like the inside of a florist shop by the time the rest of the base finished visiting. The room was an explosion of color, and there were so many flowers and cards that new shelves had to be put in to hold them all.

Once it came out that Wash was reading him bedtime stories, everyone else followed suit. The local library became crammed with power armor as the Reds and Blues competed over who could find the best book. She never thought she’d see the day where she’d see a group of grown men fight over a copy of ‘Goodnight Moon’, but here it was.

They all got swiftly banned from the library once guns started coming out, so they turned to pirating books off the internet in an effort to entertain themselves and Caboose. It was unknown if he could hear them, but Wash was adamant that if anything, he could feel their presence. Sarge didn’t bother to read anything, instead regaling tales of battles in his youth where he fought off a hoard of damn dirty Blues, but not Caboose, because he counted as an honorary Red.

Despite their efforts, it was still disturbing to see Caboose so still and silent. He was always moving, twitching, stimming, doing something . He couldn’t stay quiet to save his life, yet he never responded to any forms of contact. All he could do it seemed, was breathe. Eventually he was moved off the ventilator and into a standard oxygen mask, but he was still comatose.

It was a week and a half later when Caboose wearily opened his eyes right in the middle of Tucker reading ‘Go the Fuck to Sleep’.

“Caboose?” Tucker whispered, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Caboose tried to move, inhaling sharply when he went too fast. His hand blindly reached out before grabbing Tucker’s in a hard grip, obviously seconds from panicking. His eyes darted around the room, glassy in confusion before eyeing the numerous needles stuck into his arms. He jerked, trying to move away, but only managed to shudder in pain and squeezing Tucker’s hand hard enough to pop the bones within.

“Woah woah!” Epsilon projected himself over the bed, ‘standing’ in the air in front of his face. “Don’t move. You are in a hospital. You got all kinds of fucked up. But you’re safe now? Alright?”

Caboose stopped trying to move and slowly released Tucker’s hand from his death grip. He closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths and wincing as he calmed. “Ow…” He rasped. He could barely get above a whisper in volume and both AI and soldier had to strain to hear it under the muffling of the oxygen mask and hiss of oxygen.

“Yeah, I know buddy.” Tucker winced sympathetically. “I bet you feel like shit, eh?”

He got a soft nod in reply, each movement marked by a wince and a gasp.

“I already pinged a nurse, they’ll be on their way.” Epsilon stated, turning around to scrutinize the pain pump attached to the IV drip and started tweaking it slightly. It had an obvious effect, Caboose sighing and relaxing on the bed once the machine clicked, grip slackening a little more as relief crossed his features.

“There.” Epsilon seemed satisfied. “That’ll help. Now, if you get up and rip your stitches, I’m going to be pissed, got it?”

Caboose nodded again, eyes half sliding shut again. It was clear he wasn’t going to be able to stay awake for long. Luckily, a nurse appeared, handing Tucker a cup of ice chips and a spoon, and went over to check the machines.

He ignored the spat that started between Epsilon and the nurse over who got to fuck with the equipment and turned his attention to Caboose. “Thirsty?”

He lazily nodded in response and went to fumble at the mask on his face, but was restricted by all the wires and tubes.

Tucker found himself being the one to pull it down to the side, and feed Caboose little spoonfuls of ice as fast as he dared. He did not like the sound Caboose made when he had to breathe on his own and did his best to get at least some hydration into the dude before he fell asleep again. His throat must be awful, and he seemed to look better with each bit of ice. Tucker got a beaming smile for his efforts once the cup was empty.

“Thanks, Tucker.” Caboose mumbled as his mask was being put back in place again. “Feels better.”

“I’m glad,” Tucker chuckled in response, reaching down to hold his hand again. “You gave us a scare, ‘Boose.”

“mmmhmm.”

“Don’t do that again, alright?”

“mmhmm….”

“Okay, get some rest. You got to get better for your party, remember?”

Caboose smiled before slipping back into sleep, looking finally alive. He didn’t look right without that big dumb grin on his face. Tucker let go of the hand to tuck him in a little more, making sure the heated blanket was evenly spread. When satisfied, he put his helmet back on, tapping the comms to relay the good news to everyone else.

It was time to get a party together.

----

I SAID HE WASN'T DEAD! Epsilon is totally tsundere but he really does care about Caboose.

Of course once Caboose gets out of the hospital, he has a great big party. The whole base is just a big party and he eats so much cake and he gets a hideous homemade trophy made of random stuff welded together (cause i doubt they could find an actual one in a warzone so they made one) but he loves it all the same.

Wash was reading from one of my favorite book series, Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. Something tells me Caboose would have adored that series and it was one of mine growing up. Wash reads it to him a lot :,3

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